Tom Lehman
Nathan Newman wrote:
> >From today's Times- this part of the story is not getting enough play,
> that these tires were made by the scabs in Decateur during the strike at
> Bridgestone-Firestone in those years. Labor folks should be highlighting
> the fact that despite all the corporate propaganda, "replacement workers"
> usually lack the skills to protect public safety and health.
>
> Or more succinctly, scabs kill not only workers rights but the public -
> Nathan Newman
>
> ----
> August 14, 2000
> NEW YORK TIMES
> Ford Says Firestone Was Aware of Flaw in Its Tires by 1997
> By KEITH BRADSHER
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> DETROIT, Aug. 13 -- Ford Motor Company released documents today showing
> that in 1997 Bridgestone/ Firestone began receiving numerous complaints of
> injuries and property damage involving certain Firestone tires that were
> not recalled until last Wednesday.
>
> Some of the recalled tires have rates of injury and personal damage claims
> up to 100 times greater than for tires not recalled, Ford disclosed today.
> Many of those claims were sent to Bridgestone by vehicle owners from 1997
> to 1999, but the tire maker did not tell Ford, the company said. Ford's
> new automobiles, particularly Ford Explorer sport utility vehicles, are
> equipped with two-thirds of the recalled tires.
>
> The automaker said it only learned of the high rate of claims a week ago,
> when it performed its own computer analysis of Bridgestone's data.
> Bridgestone had resisted Ford's disclosure of the information, said a
> person briefed on the automaker's work on the issue.
>
> Ford said Bridgestone's factory in Decatur, Ill., had been the main source
> of the problem tires, and that the factory had experienced its biggest
> quality problems from 1994 through 1996. Those were the years when the
> factory was operated mainly by replacement workers because of a labor
> dispute between Bridgestone and its union, although Ford made no mention
> of that fact today.