Thousands of USW members work in the tire and rubber industry, producing a wide variety of products including tires used on cars, trucks, buses, agricultural and commercial vehicles, motorcycles and other machines.
Tim Linn, president of Local 310L in Des Moines, Iowa, has been a tire builder for more than 26 years. He and his co-workers at Bridgestone/Firestone work at a factory that began as a plant to supply the U.S. military during World War II. Today, much of their product line consists of tires used on agricultural equipment.
“We have a vast array of sizes and types of tires that we make,” Linn said. “We’re centrally located, so transportation is convenient. With agriculture being such a big industry here in the Midwest, this is a good place for us.”
The idea that he and his co-workers produce American-made tires for American consumers is a source of pride for Linn, whose father, brother and son have all worked at the factory. He knows that USW-made tires are the best in the world.
“Being union made, and being American-made, we go above and beyond,” Linn said. “The time and the quality that we put in here just isn’t comparable.”
Linn said that is part of the reason why the USW’s work to ensure fair trade in the tire sector and in other industries is so critical to preserving the union way of life. It’s a way of life that has provided security for his family and so many other union workers like him, and one that he hopes will continue for generations to come.
“If you buy a foreign-made competitor’s products, you’re going to end up spending more in the long run,” Linn said.
How to Buy Union Tires
Often, USW-made tires are placed on new vehicles before they leave the factory. In other cases, consumers can purchase them in stores.
Tires sold in the United States carry codes that help customers determine where they were made. Buyers can find USW-made tires by finding codes that appear something like this: “DOT BE XX XXX XXX.” The two letters or numbers that follow the DOT identify a company and location as listed below:
- BE: B.F. Goodrich – Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- BF: B.F. Goodrich – Woodburn, Ind.
- VE, YE, YU, 8B: Bridgestone/Firestone – Des Moines, Iowa
- D2, E3, W1, Y7: Bridgestone/Firestone – La Vergne, Tenn.
- 2C, 4D, 5D: Bridgestone/Firestone – Morrison, Tenn.
- UP: Cooper – Findlay, Ohio
- UT: Cooper – Texarkana, Ark.
- JU, PC, UK: Goodyear – Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada
- DA: Dunlop/Sumitomo/Falken – Buffalo, N.Y.
- JN, MJ, PY: Goodyear – Topeka, Kan.
- JE, MC, PT: Goodyear – Danville, Va.
- JF, MM, PJ: Kelly-Springfield – Fayetteville, N.C.
- CF: Titan Tire – Des Moines, Iowa
- JH, MN, PK: Titan Tire – Freeport, Ill.
- B plus serial #: Titan Tire – Bryan, Ohio
- CC: Yokohama Tire – Salem, Va.
