Two of the primary casualties of the weakening North American auto market are GM's Windsor transmission plant and a Chrysler casting facility, both of which will close in the by 2010. The union fought for and secured jobs at several other plants, and got severance packages for the employees whose jobs it could not save, reports The Detroit News.
The GM plant at Oshawa, Ontario will remain in operation under the deal, producing both full-size cars and light trucks. Chrysler's Windsor and Brampton plants will also remain open, rolling out minivans and large cars, respectively.
All in all, though the CAW was forced to make considerable concessions on labor, the deal could be considered a victory of sorts under the circumstances. The relative weakness of the U.S. dollar and the steadily declining auto market have meant all of the Big Three American car makers have had to make adjustments to their present and future operations.
The UAW has also reached a tentative agreement with GM over plans for its Lansing Delta Township plant in Michigan where the company makes the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook crossovers. The plant has been out of action due to a strike since April 17th, and yesterday GM cut off benefits to union workers. If the deal reached today is approved, workers could be back at work by the beginning of next week. The Lansing plant workers remain on the picket lines until the deal is approved, however.
