By Alabama Public Radio
Opelika, AL – Negotiations are continuing, and unionized workers at two B-F Goodrich tire plants in Alabama are waiting to see if they have a new contract or if they're headed for picket lines. A breakdown in the talks being held in Pittsburgh could put more than 23 hundred people out of work at factories in Tuscaloosa and Opelika. B-F Goodrich is a unit of the French company Michelin. It's negotiating with the union to replace expired contracts at the Alabama plants and one each in Canada and Indiana. Union members agreed Wednesday to continue working as a strike deadline passed. Opelika Mayor Barbara Patton says there will be a huge impact if the contract disputes aren't resolved.