NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Oct. 2, 2006--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that its rating and outlook on Goodyear Tire&Rubber Co. (B+/Stable/B-2) will not be immediately affected by the announcement that the United Steel Workers (USW) has given the company the required 72-hour notice to terminate the extension of its labor contract. The termination of the extension could be a prelude to a strike. On the other hand, it may signal that a resolution to ongoing contract negotiations may be forthcoming in the near term. The labor contract covers 12 plants and 13,000 workers in the U.S., the bulk of Goodyear's domestic manufacturing operations. While a strike would be costly to Goodyear, the firm has sufficient
