Union at plant near Grand Rapids mulls strike

Three GM plants are talking about possible strikes.

DETROIT (AP) — Union leaders for a General Motors Corp. plant near Grand Rapids have sent a letter threatening to have workers strike if talks over local issues aren’t resolved soon, the automaker said Tuesday.

The action brings to three the number of GM plants that face a strike threat.

Company spokesman Dan Flores said United Auto Workers Local 730, which represents the GM stamping plant in Wyoming, sent the letter Friday. If no agreements have been reached in five days, the union could send another letter giving a five-day notice before a strike.

UAW Local 730 Chairman Steve Rop wouldn’t comment Tuesday, but in a notice on the local’s Web site, he said the union and GM still were bargaining about local grievances as well as tool-and-die operations at the plant.

The UAW agreed on a national contract with GM last fall, but local unions also negotiate their own agreements on issues such as overtime and plant operations.

UAW Local 730 represents more than 1,000 workers, although some have been temporarily laid off because of a seven-week strike at supplier American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. that has affected 29 GM factories and a plant in Indiana that makes GM’s Hummer under contract.

Workers at the Delta Township plant near Lansing, which makes GM’s fastest-selling new crossover vehicles, could strike as early as Thursday, while workers at the Warren transmission plant could strike Friday.

Local unions in Arlington, Texas; Parma, Ohio; and Flint also had threatened strikes but since have withdrawn those threats.

Industry analysts have speculated that the UAW is using the strike threats to try to draw GM into its talks with American Axle.

Negotiations between American Axle and the UAW were ongoing Tuesday, American Axle spokeswoman Renee Rogers said.