General Motors announced on Thursday that it has reached an agreement with UAW Local 602, which has been striking the automaker’s Delta Township crossover factory since April 17. GM also announced that it has avoided a strike by UAW Local 549, which staff’s the company’s Ontario, Ohio stamping facility, just outside of Mansfield.
Although GM has confirmed the agreement with UAW Local 602, employees will not return to work until the deal is ratified, according to Automotive News.
Just yesterday GM canceled Local 602’s health and life insurance — per the national contact signed last year — but it remains unclear if that had a part in the resolution.
GM avoided the strike in Ohio as Local 549 withdrew its strike threat on Wednesday afternoon.
GM is still in the midst of a UAW strike at its Fairfax facility in Kansas City, Kansas, which has been on strike since May 5.
GM is also involved with a UAW at one of its suppliers, American Axle. The auto giant has offered American Axle $200 million to settle the dispute with the UAW, but negotiations have stalled – largely due to disputes over health care benefits and unemployment compensation.
However, some analysts are beginning to believe that the UAW strike against American Axle could be the result of frustration over the national agreement inked last year. “I’m starting to think about whether this is simple dissatisfaction with the national contract reached last year,” Aaron Bragman, a research analyst at Global Insight Inc., told Automotive News.
05/15, 2:53 PM
posted by:
trooper1
domestic automakers and unions are a really bad mix. I honestly would stay away from buying any domestic car for the next couple of years. I can just imagine all those pissed off assembly line workers deciding not put in a few bolts, or not allign the doors properly, or even sprinkle salt on the sheet metal before it went in for painting like they did at the GM plant in Canada because assembly line workers were upset at management.
05/15, 2:56 PM
posted by:
F3INT))AP3X
I just wish these ninny-nannies would shut up about their troubles because we could get some chinese “slave” labor working in the factories for a dollar a day and they wouldn’t strike all the time like these crying pussies the UAW
05/15, 3:24 PM
posted by:
ihustle
Great idea guys!!!!! Lets not support our economy. You people make me sick. Do yourself a favor and move to Japan, since you like there products so much. These people on strike, are our people. Go get a job and stop collecting state checks, bashing your country in online chat rooms. You guys dont have cars, you drive tractors. Get a life
05/15, 3:26 PM
posted by:
400horseSS
Like Pooper1, alot of people on here are stupid, why would I sabotage cars that put food on my table?
05/15, 3:54 PM
posted by:
xyunya
ihustle, if this blog makes you sick, take care of your health – don’t post or read.
Cars don’t put food on anyones table accept those who work in auto industry. Based on national statistics 60% of population in US works in small companies, which have very little to do with auto and heavy industries. It is true most of American citizenry drives cars, but made by foreign manufactures in US. Domestic manufacturers and unions relegated themselves to the last page news in most country newspapers, sans Detroit.
05/15, 4:18 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
I just wonder how much more of this GM can take.
05/15, 4:35 PM
posted by:
xyunya
As much as they are creating. This is not earthquake – it is man made problem.
05/16, 8:04 AM
posted by:
DeansterTJ
I guess LOcal 549 got spooked when they saw GM start cancelling medical. It may only represent a few thousand dollars a year in health insurance, but that’s the sort of thing that scares the **** out of people….
05/19, 8:22 AM
posted by:
injunraiv
In other news, American axle and the UAW are supposed to be voting on the latest tentative contract today. No news story on this, LLN?