UPDATE: Lordstown GM workers get strike assignments; deadline nears

Staff and wire report

A local chapter of the United Auto Workers union has posted assignments in the event of a strike later tonight if the UAW is unable to reach a tentative contract agreement with General Motors by 11:59 p.m.

Local 1714 posted strike duty assignments to its Facebook page around 7 p.m. and stated that the union hall would be open 24 hours.

Hours before tonight’s deadline, representatives from both the union and General Motors confirmed that talks were still ongoing and at a fast pace in hopes of averting a strike.

The UAW threatened a strike during negotiations with Fiat Chrysler, but reached an agreement before it came to that.

GM employs about 53,000 UAW members. The Lordstown GM plant employs about 4,500.