Thread regarding Cooper Tire & Rubber Co. layoffs

Approximately 150 employees of the Cooper Tire plant in Texarkana are scheduled to be laid off effective Saturday.Plant manager John Bodart said the number of workers being laid off is less than previously projected. Higher demand for Cooper tires is keeping more of the workers on the job, he said.Some of those being laid off could later be called back to work if demand for the tires continues to improve. The Texarkana factory is converting to a "flex plant," which will enable it to quickly shift production levels to meet demand. A job fair for affected workers is set for next Wednesday.When the plant restructuring was announced last year, 400 to 500 of the plant's 1,900 workers were slated for layoffs. The restructuring was announced after a strike by Cooper workers shut down production. (From The Associated Press)