BFGoodrich announces layoffs at Tuscaloosa, Ala., plant

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - One of Tuscaloosa's largest employers has announced layoffs at its plant in the western Alabama city.

BFGoodrich officials said Tuesday they will lay off "less than 10 percent" of the workforce at the Tuscaloosa plant.

The Tuscaloosa News reports that the plant has more than 1,100 hourly workers who are represented by the United Steelworkers. Calls to officials at the Steelworkers union hall on Culver Road across from the BFGoodrich plant weren't returned on Tuesday.

BFGoodrich's parent company, Michelen, said in a brief statement that the layoffs would help align production and inventory with current demand for passenger and light truck tires.

The company said it began to implement the layoffs Tuesday.

Tom Sullivan, a spokesman for BFGoodrich in Greenville, S.C., said he couldn't comment beyond the statement.