Workers hope to hear good news

Talks in the Goodyear strike have been ongoing since Monday.
AKRON (AP) -- Union members walking picket lines say they hope no news coming out of renewed contract talks with Goodyear Tire & amp; Rubber Co. means progress is being made.
The United Steelworkers union representing some 15,000 striking Goodyear workers in the United States and Canada and the Akron-based company have not talked about their negotiations that resumed Monday in Pittsburgh.
Both sides confirmed Thursday that the talks are ongoing. The strike began Oct. 5.
The talks between the world's third-largest tire maker and the Steelworkers were the first meetings since negotiations in Cincinnati broke off Nov. 17 after four days.
The union and Goodyear have disagreed over health-care proposals for retirees and plans to close a Tyler, Texas, tire factory.
Optimistic
Though they say they have little information, many strikers in Akron say they have a feeling things this time are going better.
"What I've heard is talks are going well," said Roger Enos, 56, of Norton, a 25-year employee.
Dave Prentice, spokesman for USW Local 2 in Akron, said he has heard that this week's negotiations have gone on until late at night.
"That can be extrapolated as a good thing," he said. "You don't know anything. They're just tied up. Do I think [an agreement] is close? I don't know. ... My feeling is, they aren't playing this time."
Pickets on Wednesday had meetings to learn about health-care insurance alternatives once Goodyear-provided benefits end Jan. 3.
Robert Mathews, 64, of Cleveland, who has worked for Goodyear for 17 years, said the company and union have an interest in getting a settlement soon because both sides are losing money.
"I'm optimistic about it. I think they'll finally get together," he said.
Shares
Meanwhile, Goodyear shares hit their highest level in four years Wednesday when they rose 88 cents, or 4.7 percent, to close at 19.73 on the New York Stock Exchange. Shares cooled off Thursday, when they were down 30 cents at 19.43.
The year's lowest price was 9.75 on July 18.