Des Moines Register reports:
Bridgestone-Firestone announced June 6 it would be cutting jobs at its Des Moines, Iowa, plant, reports the Des Moines Register. According to the report, most of the company’s tractor tires are made at that plant. This is the first layoff at the plant since 1990.
According to the paper:
It declined to say how many, but Keenan Bell, president of the United Steelworkers Union 310L, which represents the plant’s production workers, said the company told employees the layoffs, effective July 5, affect all with two or fewer years of seniority. Union rolls show 118 of the plant’s 900 workers fall into that category. Bell said.
In a statement to the Des Moines Register, the company said:
It “regularly evaluates all aspects of its business to ensure we remain competitive and resources are allocated in a manner that best supports our business strategy. We notified local United Steelworkers (USW) leadership in Des Moines that we have made the difficult decision to reduce positions due to demand constraints in the agriculture tire sector. We aim to minimize the impact on our teammates as much as possible and will continue to communicate directly with our teammates. Bridgestone is confident this move will enable us to operate more cost effectively in strengthening our business model and to deliver on our long-term growth potential.”
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