GM CEO Met With UAW President to Jump-Start Stalled Labor Talks--Update
October 10 2019 - 6:40PM
Dow Jones News
By Nora Naughton
General Motors Co. Chief Executive Mary Barra met on Wednesday
with United Auto Workers President Gary Jones to jump-start stalled
contract talks and end a 25-day strike at the company's U.S.
factories, according to people briefed on the meeting.
Ms. Barra called the meeting with Mr. Jones and the UAW's top
bargainer for GM, Terry Dittes, concerned the union had yet to
respond to the company's latest proposal, which it shared with the
union on Monday, the people said. The meeting was at GM's Detroit
headquarters, in the same building where negotiations are under
way, the people added. This is the first meeting between Ms. Barra
and Mr. Jones since the strike began.
Top negotiators for the union and the company haven't met at the
main bargaining table in the past two days, a sign talks have
slowed, the people said. The negotiations have only continued on
the committee level, where the details of larger items are usually
hashed out, the people said.
After significant progress last week, negotiations hit a snag on
Sunday, prompting Mr. Dittes to send a letter to members informing
them that talks had taken a "turn for the worse."
The meeting between Ms. Barra and Mr. Jones was earlier reported
by the New York Post.
As the strike stretches through a fourth week, both sides are
still working to resolve differences on several issues, including
wages and new-hire pay, the people said. Other previous sticking
points like health care and a path to full-time status for
temporary workers have been largely settled, they said.
Mr. Dittes said in a Tuesday letter to members that negotiators
were still far apart on the topic of job security, adding GM was
falling short on demands to invest more in the U.S. over other
countries, such as Mexico.
The company's decision last year to indefinitely idle four
UAW-represented factories -- including assembly plants in Detroit
and Lordstown, Ohio -- sparked tensions early on. GM, in an offer
made public after the UAW called the strike, has said it has
solutions for the two assembly plants.
The strike is already the longest nationwide walkout at GM since
1970 and is taking a toll on both sides. UAW workers will miss
their third paycheck this week, putting pressure on their finances.
The union compensates workers with a $250 weekly check out of its
strike fund, a fraction of their regular pay.
Analysts estimate the strike that has brought more than 30 GM
factories to a standstill has cost the company more than $1 billion
in lost production. Parts shortages related to the work stoppage
has spilled over to Mexico, where GM last week was forced to idle
its third of three North American pickup-truck plants.
Mike Colias contributed to this article.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 10, 2019 18:25 ET (22:25 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2019 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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