UAW, Chrysler make progress in talks

FE Team | Published: October 09, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

DETROIT, Oct 8 (AP): The United Auto Workers put Chrysler LLC on notice that a strike is possible if contract talks stall, a person briefed on the talks said, but a labour expert said the union's action could be a bargaining tactic.
The union gave Sunday Chrysler a 72-hour notice of a potential strike, the person said, but it was unclear exactly whether the notice would end Tuesday or Wednesday.
Bargainers working in committees made progress during the weekend but still have much work to do on difficult issues, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the talks are private.
Negotiators bargained Saturday and into Sunday evening, then recessed for the night with plans to resume talks Monday.
"We remain optimistic," Chrysler spokeswoman Michele Tinson said Sunday afternoon.
UAW spokesman Roger Kerson declined to comment on the talks.
A strike notice could be a tactic by the union to put pressure on the company as the talks intensify, said Harley Shaiken, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley who specialises in labour issues.
"The union wants the deadline to encourage a settlement sooner rather than later," Shaiken said.
The UAW went on strike for nearly two days last month before coming to a tentative agreement with General Motors Corp. The union normally settles with one US automaker and then uses that deal as a pattern for an agreement the other two. But this year, both Chrysler and Ford Motor Co have said they have different needs than GM and may need different contract terms.
Shaiken said the notice doesn't necessarily mean there will be a strike because the UAW could extend its contract hour-by-hour when the deadline passes. A second strike in one set of negotiations would be rare, he said.
"I think the union may feel things are going well, but they want the discipline of a deadline," Shaiken said.
A short strike might not hurt Chrysler much. It has five US plants scheduled to be shut down for a week or two starting Monday due to lower market demand for their products.
GM workers are now voting on the tentative agreement reached with the company, with totals expected to be done Wednesday.
The union has not formally picked the second company it will negotiate with, but talks with Chrysler have intensified in recent days.