GM union OKs new contract at Kansas plant

updated 8:49 p.m. ET May 21, 2008

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - Union members at General Motors Corp.'s Fairfax assembly plant here have approved a new contract, ending a nearly three-week-old strike.

The contract was approved by 88 percent of the skilled workers and 85 percent of the production workers who voted Wednesday, union officials said, although they declined to say how many workers voted.

About 2,500 members of United Auto Workers Local 31 walked off the job May 5 after failing to agree with plant management on a local contract. The plant makes the hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu as well as the Saturn Aura.

"We told everyone from the get-go that we were out here to retain what we had and we did that," said Jeff Manning, union president. "I'm totally relieved. I'm looking forward to a holiday weekend and not being on strike."

A few skilled workers were expected to return to the plant Wednesday evening to prepare it to return to production but most of the workers will return Thursday, union officials said.

The two sides bridged their differences Tuesday evening. While the union approved a national contract with GM last fall, local contracts that govern work rules, overtime and other items are negotiated separately at each location.

Manning said the union prevented management from ignoring workers' seniority in filling job openings at the plant and kept jobs traditionally performed within the plant from being outsourced.

The contract creates 120 new entry-level positions at the plant starting in September and also preserves or creates 30 skilled trade jobs.

GM spokesman Dan Flores said the company was "obviously pleased" that production would resume Thursday.

"Our focus is that the Malibu, the Aura are important products for us and we look forward to resuming production," he said.

The agreement also pays each union member a $1,250 "Malibu launch recognition award."

Union members who attended briefings on the agreement before the vote said they generally liked what they heard.

"It seems like it's going to be a pretty good agreement," said Tim Logsdon, who has worked at Fairfax for 30 years. "There are some things that we don't care for and some things that we do want."

Bobby Dion, who has worked for GM for 29 years and is at his fifth plant, said he was pleased with what union negotiators had accomplished.

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