As General Motors and union leaders at the United Auto Workers (UAW) continue their bitter labor dispute that has already cost nearly 50,000 workers their jobs, the automaker has idled another factory, sending nearly 2,000 workers home from their jobs as the labor strike deepens.
On Tuesday of this week, GM announced it was idling its facility in Fairfax, Kansas, a move that affects approximately 1,900 workers. This is yet another casualty of the ongoing contract dispute between the company and UAW, as the two sides struggle to reach an official agreement that would end the strike.
The plant in question produces the Chevrolet Malibu, which is one of GM’s most profitable vehicles. However, with the strike dragging on, the company decided to close the facility to allowing it to conserve resources. The plant, while normally dynamic and efficient, has become impacted by a shortage of parts and other materials that are needed for the production process, not to mention the significant decrease in workforce productivity due to the labor strike.
Since the widespread strike began, GM has closed several of its major plants, including, but not limited to, ones in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, New York, and Maryland, leaving tens of thousands of workers with little choice but to stay home.
Many of the factory workers have expressed concerns that the labor impasse could eventually stretch into the holiday season and beyond, costing even more jobs. Unfortunately, despite the ongoing discussion between GM and the union over the weekend, no significant progress has been reported.
In a statement released yesterday, UAW vice president Terry Dittes said that the union’s relationship with GM has been “severely damaged” due to the automaker’s lack of commitment to its workers. GM has yet to respond to the statement.
While it remains to be seen how long the strike will last, it is clear that GM and UAW representatives need to come to a mutually beneficial agreement soon to prevent further job losses and disruption to the U.S. auto industry.