Giti Tire responds to local leaders’ complaints of unfair treatment at SC plant
A Giti Tire Manufacturing (USA) representative has released a statement following complaints about labor practices at the plant in Richburg, S.C.
David Shelton, Director of Industry Relations, released the following statement Monday afternoon. The response came after a group tried to hand-deliver a letter to the plant last week.
The letter cited problems with labor practices and asked for a response from Giti by Dec. 3.
Here is the content of the statement released by Shelton.
“Giti Tire is proud to call South Carolina home to our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility where dedicated team members produce high-quality, American-made tires. We’ve been able to provide an exceptional array of jobs in Chester County for operators, technicians, polymer experts, engineers in chemical, mechanical, civil, computer science, and electrical fields, administrative, finance and accounting, and many others all while providing strong benefits and competitive salaries.
“As a member of the Chester County community, Giti Tire always welcomes sincere and legitimate input from our team members and other community members. As a core principle, Giti Tire works very hard to ensure we have all the facts and accurate information before taking action. We certainly hope others will also be diligent in confirming the facts and evaluating items coming from parties outside of our Chester County operations who are providing false and misleading information. We recognize this is part of an organized, union-led effort. People who have been a part of our community, and surrounding communities, know that you can have problems with union representation that can hurt job security and long-term success. These are facts people need to know before even thinking a union is best for them and their families.
“At Giti Tire, we have always recognized that our team members are the strength of our operations and the key to our future success. This was exceptionally clear as the United States reopened from the COVID-19 shutdown. Like many companies, we experienced an increase in demand for our products, requiring a dramatic production response. Our Giti Tire team joined together and sacrificed time and energy to restart operations and serve our customers. Once operations fully restarted and demand normalized, our production and schedules also returned to a more balanced work life experience and we were able to provide a salary increase for many.
“Over the last 20 months, Giti Tire has also increased employee communications and engagement as we have worked to navigate the pandemic. Our 600 employees are our number one priority and most valuable asset. We believe they can, and should, be able to communicate directly with us without the need of a third party such as a union.
“Therefore, we always welcome the opportunity to hear from employees and provide open lines of communications. We also want to ensure citizens in South Carolina know the facts and we look forward to sharing our story. Chester County is an excellent home for Giti Tire. We are continuing to invest in our South Carolina operations as we plan to be here for many years to come.”
Letter delivered to the plant
A group of concerned citizens walked to the gates of the Giti plant on Nov. 23.
They attempted to hand-deliver a letter signed by a coalition of 27 local leaders, including two S.C. State Representatives, county officials from York and Chester counties, Chester City council members and Chester Mayor Wanda Stringfellow.
They also were joined by representatives of the United Steelworkers Union, which released a statement last March denouncing Giti.
The group was not allowed to leave the letter at the security gate at the entrance to the facility.
A law enforcement officer on the scene took a copy of the letter and promised to contact S.C. State Rep. John King when it had been delivered. As of Tuesday afternoon, King said, to his knowledge, the letter hand not yet reached Giti officials.
The letter, obtained by The Herald, asks for a meeting to discuss unfair working conditions at the plant.
“Workers have reported mandatory overtime, unpredictable schedules, low wages, and the inability to have time off with their families without retaliation. When workers have raised concerns your company has begun intimidating and even threatening to close the plant if they decide to exercise their right to protected, concerted activity,” the letter reads.
This story was originally published November 30, 2021 at 3:35 PM.
