About 200 people showed up Monday for a rally at the Topeka Goodyear plant to support the company's retirees, said Glen Griffith, vice president of United Steelworkers of America Local 307 in Topeka.

Griffith said the company would like to take away health benefits for Goodyear retirees.

He said retirees pay $32 per month for health care, but that could shoot up to more than $1,000 per month for a pre-Medicare age retiree or several hundred dollars for a post-Medicare age person.

There are about 1,385 retirees living in Kansas who retired from the Topeka plant, Griffith said.

Goodyear has been trying to reduce its "legacy costs," or costs associated with retirees, Griffith said. But cutting the health care benefit would hurt retirees significantly.

"It would be devastating," said Alan Barth, president of the Goodyear Hourly Retirees Club in Topeka. Barth said retirees traded out some cost of living increases in previous years to retain health benefits. "We gave concessions," Barth said.

Griffith said union members would support a creative solution that still maintains the company's commitment to retirees.

Barth said the cut in health care benefits is another way for Goodyear to increase its profits. Such cuts would force retirees to cut back on spending in restaurants, stores and the local economy.

"We can't bankrupt the company, then nobody has any benefit," Barth said.

The contract between USW/Goodyear that expired on July 22 was extended. Either party, with 72 hours of advance notice, may cancel the extension. A BF Goodrich tentative agreement was ratified on Aug. 8. That was followed by Goodyear/union meetings.

"They are exchanging proposals, passing paper, trying to come up with an agreement," Griffith said.

The shuttle cart was donated for use by:

HAROLD'S TIRE SERVICE

1400 SE 6th St. • Topeka, Kansas

Owner: Mike Cromwell