BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Critical contract negotiations are taking place at this hour to avert a strike by thousands of Firestone workers. The talks are being watched closely by union members at nine Firestone plants around the United States. CNN's Ed Garsten joins us from St. Louis, Missouri with the latest on the talks.</s>ED GARSTEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brian, the United Steel Workers aren't promising that they won't be a strike, but the best sign is that talks are continuing. They've been in marathon talks. At one point, they went at it for 72 hours straight in a hotel in suburban St. Louis, about three floors above where I'm standing right now. They took a short break this morning, and then went right back at it. We had a chance to get a peek at the floor where the talks are going on. There seems to be some relaxation look like was going on. Everyone looked to be pretty relaxed, but extremely busy. They are working. We are told by a union source that the talks are at a stage that can only be called make or break. So they're going to keep going at it, presumably until an agreement is reached, if they can possibly reach one. Now earlier today, at the plants, the union members were told they should report to work. That order came down last night, roughly 90 minutes before the strike deadline. The union told its workers at nine plants, keep on showing up until we tell you not to. As long as we're talking, we want you to keep working. One question is, what is happening to replacement program, as Firestone attempts to replace it's recalled tires? One move has been airlifting tires from the corporation's home base in Japan. Indeed, thousands of tires are being put in trucks and then being put in planes and being brought to the United States to speed up the effort, which we're told is more than halfway done. Ed Garsten, CNN, reporting live from St. Louis.
Contract Negotiations Taking Place to Avert Strike by Thousands of Firestone Workers