The Timken Co. and the steelworkers union have reached a new, four-year labor agreement.

The new contract goes into effect on September 26, 2005, the date the current contract was set to expire. Members of the steelworkers union voted to ratify the new contract, which covers approximately 2700 people at the company's bearing plants in Canton and steel plants in Canton and Wooster, Ohio.

"This is a success for our associates and the community," said Don Walker, Senior Vice President — Human Resources and Organizational Advancement. "We are pleased to have successfully concluded this matter with the union and look forward to intensifying our focus on delivering the quality and value our customers demand."