SALEM, Va. — Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia L.L.C. and United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1023 have agreed in principle on a new four-year labor contract covering approximately 500 workers at Yokohama's tire plant in Salem.
The new agreement will replace the last contract that was signed in 2018. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"Negotiations once again went well as both sides were professional and worked diligently throughout the process," Tetsuro Murakami, president of Salem-based unit of Yokohama Corp. of North America.
"Representatives from both sides agreed this is a fair and equitable contract that's beneficial to all parties involved."
The Yokohama plant in Salem produces passenger and light truck tires, with a rated annual capacity of 6.2 million units The plant was opened in 1968 by Mohawk Rubber Co. Yokohama acquired it in 1989.
The Yokohama agreement is the latest in a series of master contracts USW locals have reached with Bridgestone Americas Inc., Goodyear and Michelin North America Inc. affecting nearly 12,000 workers.
Collective bargaining pacts involving the United Steelworkers locals at Michelin (about 1,800 workers) and Bridgestone Americas plants (about 4,000 workers) were ratified Aug. 19, while a new CBA with Goodyear was ratified by union workers Aug. 24, affecting about 6,000 workers.
The Bridgestone and Goodyear deals are for four years; the Michelin deal, which affects workers at former BFGoodrich factories in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Fort Wayne, Ind., is for three years.
Unionized workers at Titan International Inc.'s tire factories in Freeport, Ill., Des Moines, Iowa, and Bryan, Ohio, ratified new three-year labor contracts at their respective plants in January.
