CHICAGO -- The Schwinn Bicycle Co. has agreed to negotiate a contract with its workers for the first time in its 110-year history, spokesmen for both sides said Friday.
The agreement averted a strike set for noon Friday by the 1,400 workers at the North Side plant.
The agreement was reached at a Thursday meeting with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Carl Shier, a United Auto Workers international representative to Local 2153 which represents the Schwinn employees, said Schwinn representatives for the first time agreed to begin formal contract negotiations.
Schinn officials had refused to recognize the union, charging a March 28 election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board making the union the employees bargaining agent was fraudulent.
Shier said a contract negotiating committee of the union local was working Friday at hammering out the details of a contract proposal to be presented at an initial negotiating session next Tuesday.
John McDonald, a company attorney, said the firm made its decision several days ago to begin contract talks and drop its appeal to the NLRB's Washington office contesting the union election.
