FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Workers at the General Motors plant in
Kentucky that assembles Corvettes voted Tuesday to authorize a strike over
lingering safety concerns, but a local union leader said he hopes the
differences can be resolved without a walkout.
Union members voted overwhelmingly to give union leaders the
green light to call a strike if necessary. About 800 union workers were
eligible to vote, and more than 90 percent of those casting ballots backed the
strike authorization, said Eldon Renaud, president of United Auto Workers Local
2164
Renaud said issues involved were safety and quality control.
He said there have been several "near misses" that
could have resulted in serious injuries for assembly line workers at the
Bowling Green plant. The union also worries that the elimination of quality
control positions will affect the integrity of the plant's quality procedures,
he said.
Renaud said he was confident the strike-authorization vote
would get the "immediate attention" of management, resulting in
stepped up negotiations.
"We're like everybody else, we're strike-shy," he
said. "Nobody wants to have a strike. Who really benefits by it?"
The plant said the safety of its employees and the quality
of its products are at the forefront of every decision.
"We're confident that we can work together and have a
strong track record of creative problem solving," the plant said in a
statement.
The vote comes just weeks after the retirement of plant
manager Dave Tatman. Jeff Lamarche was named to the post in February, with his
official start date at Tatman's departure, according to The Daily News of
Bowling Green.
The plant was closed for a few months last year, gearing up
and retooling for production of the Stingray that has been on showroom floors
since last fall.
Source: Philly.com
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