Workers approve new 4-year contract with Yokohama Tire Co. in Salem

In a Facebook post, United Steelworkers, which represents around 600 employees at the plant, said the contract won approval with a majority of the popular vote.

Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia LLC confirmed Tuesday that a new, four-year contract had been signed.

The company didn’t release any details about the terms of the agreement. In a statement, Yokohama Virginia President Tetsuro “Tex” Murakami said only that the negotiations went well and praised both sides for their professionalism and hard work.

“We’ve always had a strong, positive working relationship with the union and both sides can feel good about the result,” he said.

A union representative couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday.

The union’s last contract, approved in 2014, was originally set to expire in May but workers said an extension was agreed to while negotiations continued.

As new deadlines approached last month, employees started organizing a series of rallies — first inside the plant then outside — to advocate for a resolution.

A tentative contract agreement was struck Aug. 17 and circulated among employees before being approved in the vote over Labor Day weekend.

Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia, a Salem-based subsidiary of the global tire company, makes high-performance passenger car and light-truck tires.

In addition to its unionized staff, it employs 160 salaried workers, making for a total workforce of 760 employees.