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  Tire unions pressing Obama
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ContributorJason 
Last EditedJason  Aug 18, 2009 05:30am
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AuthorDana Beyerle
News DateTuesday, August 18, 2009 04:00:00 AM UTC0:0
DescriptionUnless there's a compromise, President Barack Obama faces having to choose between union workers who supported his election bid or good relations with China that holds significant U.S. debt.
Obama faces a Sept. 17 deadline to act on a recommendation by the U.S. International Trade Commission to slap a tariff on cheaper imported Chinese car and light truck tires so domestic tire makers can compete.
Tire worker unions in Gadsden and Tuscaloosa are urging Obama to put a duty on imports that unions say reduce American jobs because domestic tire makers can't compete with manufacturers who pay lower wages and don't have expensive environmental and regulatory restrictions.
"We're activating our membership," said Bren Riley, vice president of United Steelworkers Union Local 12 in Gadsden and a former Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant employee. "Our rank-and-file are sending President Obama letters saying we supported him in this election.
"I think this is the first true test of his commitment to organized labor," Riley said last week.
Dexter Beams is vice president of the United Steelworkers Union Local 351 in Tuscaloosa that represents workers at the B.F. Goodrich tire plant that he said employs about 1,250 people.
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