U.S. Army threatened to draft Goodyear workers

[Friday]

Army threatens to draft Goodyear workers
Source: MarketWatch
Posted on 12.18.06 by Thomas L. Knapp

?The U.S. Army is considering taking measures to force striking workers to return to work at a Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (GT) plant in Kansas in order to prevent a shortage of tires for military vehicles, the Financial Times reported on its Web site Friday. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said the army is looking at a possible injunction under the Taft-Hartley Act to force the 200 Kansas workers to return to their jobs. He said the strike has cut output of Humvee tires by about 35% and that the army has already had to stop supplying tires to units not related to the Central Command, which covers Iraq and Afghanistan, the FT reported. ? About 15,000 workers have been on strike since Oct. 5, crippling 16 Goodyear plants in the U.S. and Canada.? (12/15/06)

Link: http://tinyurl.com/y9ul52

And this is not slavery... how?  ???

Does anyone know how this story turned out? 

[Russell Kanning]

makes the slavery less hidden

[Lloyd Danforth]

Just as a practical point.  Why are they dependent on one factory or company, for that matter, for what the need?

[eques]

My best guess is that Goodyear won the government contract to make the super-special Humvee tires.  Instead of simply switching suppliers, the government does what the government knows best: force Goodyear to make their goddamned tires.

[Dreepa]

Why doesn't Goodyear just replace the striking workers? ???

[error]

Does anyone know how this story turned out? 

Yes.

The strike ended after three months, when Goodyear agreed to give the workers $1 billion in health care.

But Goodyear will have the last laugh; it's selling that division of the company to Carlyle.

[aries]

needs some propoganda posters ala "loose lips sink ships"

I can't think of a catchy way to say "Support the troops - don't go on strike"

[eques]

How about:

"Don't be daft! Dodge the draft!"