UAW summons local union leaders to Detroit as the GM strike continues
United Auto Workers members on strike picket outside General Motors & # 39; Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant September 25, 2019 in Detroit.
Michael Wayland / CNBC
DETROIT – United Auto Workers has called local union leaders to Detroit on Thursday for an update on the negotiations with General Motors.
The union has traditionally done this when a preliminary agreement is reached or, as was the case a month ago, to discuss and vote on other actions such as a strike.
A letter to local union leaders Monday night said that the agenda for the meeting included an "update of the contract and other items on the agenda to be determined," leaving the door open for talks to continue potentially reaching a tentative agreement ahead of the meeting.
UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg declined to comment on the letter. GM spokesman David Barnas confirmed the negotiations are "ongoing" but declined to comment on details of the discussions. Negotiations between the two sides ended Monday night and are expected to resume on Tuesday morning.
If a preliminary agreement is not reached by the meeting at 1[ads1]0:30 am Thursday, the union may update local leaders about the discussions in an effort to decide what to do next.
"My guess is that if there is no tentative agreement by Thursday, they will review the status of negotiations with the council and then try to reach an agreement on the next steps," said Colin Lightbody, a labor consultant and long-standing dealer for Fiat Chrysler.
Alternatives for the trade union to move forward may include:
- which is still on strike and continues negotiations with GM;
- discussing and agreeing on terms of outstanding issues;
- discussions with another car manufacturer if negotiations have stopped, among others.
The summons to local UAW presidents and chairmen comes after the two sides countered back and forth with proposals. The union said on Friday that it had opposed an offer from GM.
Around 48,000 UAW members have been stalking outside GM's US plant since September 16. The strike went into its fifth week on Monday.
The work stoppage has curled throughout the carmaker's North American business, causing thousands of additional layoffs. Wall Street analysts estimate GM has lost more than $ 1 billion as a result of the strike.
It has also contributed to significant declines in GM stocks over the past month. The stock is down around 9% since September 13, the last trading day before the strike. GM shares closed Monday at $ 35.50, down 0.2%
