USW strike is settled.

I hadn't been able to ferret out many details of the fallout from the Goodyear strike. This AP story however, lays a bit more details open. It sounds like the USW got the business end from Goodyear--that's my verdict, at least. And I'm sorry to see it happen, but I base my judgment on the following:

They weren't able to keep open the Tyler, Texas plant beyond 2007;



They suffered a two-tier pay system--that means wage givebacks for new employees only. This is the kiss of death for any union because new guys have to work alongside more senior guys, knowing all the while they'll never reach their pay grade. It kills any sense of solidarity among workers;



Goodyear initially offered $660 million for an employee retiree health care fund. They ended up settling for $1 billion, but the union wanted double that, so it looks like management got the better end of the deal.

Look, I could be wrong, but I just don't see how the USW comes out on top after this.

But hey, Goodyear's stock shares went up by 10 cents, so that's good, right?