Strike Two! GM Workers Shut Down Malibu Plant

Frank Williams
by Frank Williams

GM dodged the bullet when the American Axle strike threatened to shut down the Malibu plant in Kansas City. ( Found some! ) But the automaker's luck just ran out. Automotive News [sub] reports the members of UAW Local 31 walked out at 10 AM this morning after GM failed to come to terms over seniority and job security in their local operating contract. Although there was only a 31-day supply of Malibus in dealers' hands at the end of April, the situation isn't as dire as it would seem. The plant in Orion Township, MI where they also build Malibus (and Pontiac G6's) already has a local contract and will continue production. This is the second GM plant where workers are striking over their local contract; the Delta Township plant where they screw together the Lambda CUVs has been on strike for almost three weeks. Although UAW president Ron Gettelfinger said the union shouldn't expect GM to get involved in settling the American Axle strike, some analysts think that's the reason behind the local strikes against GM. With 61 other plants yet to sign local contracts, things could get a lot dicier for the General before they get better.

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  • Oldyak Oldyak on May 05, 2008

    there is a really beautiful Saturn Astra coupe at a dealer that I pass buy every day now for a MONTH!!!! Dont they even have sense enough to rotate stock? This car should have been sold in one week at most??? I am worried.......

  • Anonymous Anonymous on May 05, 2008
    MikeInCanada : May 5th, 2008 at 5:13 pm Could someone help a brother out - with an explanation that is….. How can there be a ‘National’ contract which has been ratified and then a whole bunch of ‘local’ contracts? Does this mean that GM has to negotiate for each and every facility? Thanks for the feedback My sentiments exactly. What is the purpose of a national contract when you then have to negotiate local contracts on top of that?
  • Scottie Scottie on May 05, 2008

    Hooray!, I got Laid off within after their striking. Great, its hell at some suppliers now too because of their (UAW) inability to have a reasonable pay check. anyone want to go to either the delta twp plant or fairfax plant and throw eggs at the lazy bums?

  • Sherman Lin Sherman Lin on May 06, 2008

    Could someone help a brother out - with an explanation that is….. How can there be a ‘National’ contract which has been ratified and then a whole bunch of ‘local’ contracts? Does this mean that GM has to negotiate for each and every facility? Thanks for the feedback I am not an autoworker nor a UAW member but in our union contract certain issues are designated as being negotiated on a local level. As an example how an employee puts in for leave and how it is allocated where I work in St Petersburg is different than it is 20 miles away in Tampa. Those designated issues are negotiated at the local level per our national contract. In our case that means that each local union negotiates with their local management counterpart and not with anybody on a national level.

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