TEXARKANA, Ark. (April 11, 2005) — Striking employees at Cooper Tire & Rubber Co.´s Texarkana tire plant ratified a new five-year contract April 10.
The deal—approved by members of United Steelworkers of America Local 752 by a 708-632 vote—brings to a close the strike that began March 12, primarily over health care differences.
Cooper halted tire production in Texarkana after the strike started but said the first union workers returned to the job this morning. Plant operations will resume in phases over the next several days, the company said.
The facility produces about 40,000 radial passenger and light truck tires per day at capacity and employs about 1,700 production workers, Cooper said.