B.F. Goodrich temporarily idling 500 workers

A B.F. Goodrich Co. tire plant in the northeastern Indiana town of Woodburn will temporarily lay off as many as 500 of its workers for two months, according to The News-Sentinel of Fort Wayne. The layoff, which begins Nov. 1 and amounts to about 40 percent of the local work force, was forced by the weak economy, a union leader told the newspaper. The Akron, Ohio, company posted similar notices at two plants it operates in Tuscaloosa and Opelika, Ala.