Goodyear Union City Closing/Shut Down...Greed~Greed~Greed !

An Atom Bomb Has Been Dropped on Union City Tennessee

By : Underdog = Don Jones

2/12/11

I`m not sure where to begin ? How does one write about a Catastrophic/Horrific event happening where you live ? When I learned of the closing of our Goodyear Plant in Union City Tennessee, it felt like someone hit me hard in my stomach. I cried, I prayed. The lives this will crush. The family`s this will destroy. I received the news of the plant closure on-line around 7:30am. Thursday February 10, 2011 ! Goodyear Corporate, specifically CEO-President, Richard J. Kramer had made the announcement to the press. He did`nt have the guts/courtesy to inform those employee`s at the Union City Plant. I knew, before they did. Now, that`s sorry ! The afternoon of 2/10/11 there was a press conference at the Hampton Inn, in Union City. I`m not sure who was invited ? But, it was kinda like a wake, no one showed up. Mr. Clint Smith, public relations for the Union City plant must have draw`ed the short straw ? He conducted the meeting. I actually felt sorry for him. He was well coached on what to answer and what not to answer. His voice actually quivered on some answers.There was no one from corporate Goodyear. There was no one from the Plant Management team. If there was anyone from the United Steelworkers of America, they were not vocal. I listened to the press conference on the radio. The only political representatives present were Obion County Mayor, Benny McGuire and 24th. District Tennessee State Senator Roy Herron. Where was Congressman Stephen Fincher, District#8-Tennessee, the plant is in his district ? Where was Andy Holt, Tennessee State Representative 76th. District ? Where was Bill Sanderson 77th. District Representative, the plant is in his district ? Where was Governor Bill Haslam ? Where was Mayor Terry Hailey of Union City ? I make no apology for saying, that these elected officials have their priority`s all messed up ! This writer has had conversations with all of those mentioned above. They were aware of this possibility. When asked about the repercussions this would have on Obion County, Benny McGuire, said, this is terrible. This writer learned that Senator Roy Herron, was in Nashville and when he was informed, he immediately returned to Union City for the press conference/meeting. When asked about the plant closure, he said, the employee`s need to be told the truth, these tires are going off-shore to be built ! Thanks Senator Herron, you had the intestinal fortitude (GUTs) to tell it like it is ! Listen to this, CEO Kramer has made almost 7 million dollar$ for his personal bank account, since the announcement of Union City`s Closing. How/why ? Part of his salary is in stock options, when he announced that Goodyear Union City was closing, investors figured it out quickly, These tires would be made in China and shipped to the good ole USA for sale. Cheap Labor ! Folks, this is not capitalism, it is GREED ! I keep hearing the number 1900 employee`s be bandied around. The number of employee`s affected will be closer to 2,800 ! Union City prepare yourselves, it is going to get rough. Now, before you blame the Union, get your facts straight. The Union, specifically President Ricky Waggoner, gave and gave and gave some more to save their plant. Terry Tennyson, Union City Plant Manager, I believe, did all he could do to save his plant. The original culprit was Tennyson`s predecessor Plant Manager Todd Turner, Mr. Turner came to shut Union City Down. I do believe that the United Steelworkers of America in Pittsburgh PA, specifically President Leo Gerard and Secretary-Treasurer Stan Johnson, like Nero, sat on their hands and fiddled while Union City Burned ! Shame on you both ! I am an eternal optimist, I say, do whatever it takes to save these jobs ! Until the last lock is put in place, I ask all to work diligently to keep those jobs in America and specifically Union City Tennessee ! Did you watch the revolution in Egypt ? Politicians, listen up. It is TRADE, UNFAIR TRADE that is killing our middle class. Labor in America cannot compete with third world labor, and keep our present standard of living. What part of that, don`t you understand ?