49,000 General Motors workers strike in the United States | Business | The sun

For the union, the strike had become necessary following the failure of the last negotiations to sign a new collective agreement.

A little earlier, in the late evening, the union had reported that the talks with the employer party were to resume Monday morning, from 10 am, but still maintained its strike notice.

About 200 local union leaders unanimously voted in favor of a walkout at a meeting Sunday morning in Detroit. Union leaders said parties were still distant on a number of major issues. They were not convinced by an employer's offer to build new models in two of the four factories it planned to close, a well-informed source said.

It is still possible that the negotiators will return to the bargaining table and reach an agreement, but union spokesman Brian Rothenberg said at a press conference that it would be unlikely to be possible. hear on as many cases before 11:59 pm

GM had proposed Friday to build a new 100% electric pickup truck at a Detroit plant that is expected to close next year. The automaker has also proposed to open an electric vehicle battery plant in Lordstown, Ohio, where it already has facilities that no longer manufacture cars. The new plant would add to the proposal to manufacture electric vehicles for a company called Workhorse, said a source.

It is not known how many workers the two plants would employ. Closures, particularly the Ohio mill, could be an issue during the 2020 presidential campaign. President Donald Trump has often condemned the company's actions and demanded the reopening of the plant. from Lordstown.

Workforce

Labor costs remain the main subjects of litigation.

GM has made significant profits, just $ 8 billion last year, and workers want a bigger slice of the pie. The union is calling for annual wage increases to protect its members from the economic downturn, but the company prefers to pay lump sums related to revenues. Automakers do not want higher fixed costs.

The union also wants the company to produce new products at the four plants that will close. GM's decision has upset some workers, even though a large majority of those fired have been employed at other company facilities.

The company wants to close the gap in labor costs between it and its foreign competitors. Currently, the average salary of a GM worker is $ 63 an hour if you count the benefits, compared to $ 50 in a factory of a foreign-owned company.

American manufacturers also want to reduce the costs of health insurance plans for workers.