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ALLEN COUNTY, Ind. (Fort Wayne's NBC) – Discussions on key issues have prolonged the General Motors union strike for a second day.
Union workers and General Motors executives are nervous.
Rich LeTourneau, President of the Local 2209 Negotiations, and Union President Holli Murphy, went to the Fort Wayne GM truck assembly plant on Tuesday, where the picketers take turns during the shutdown job.
"Are we staying together?" LeTourneau asked some workers guarding a door.
We met Willie Dockery, who has 41 years of GM work experience.
He has suffered three strikes since moving to Fort Wayne when the local plant opened in 1986.
"We are fighting here for a way of life and that's all. I do not know if I'm middle-class, but we're fighting anyway, "Dockery said with a chuckle.
In contract negotiations, the UAW seeks to protect key health benefits and bridge the pay gap between long-time unionized workers and new employees, who are paid much less.
We also spoke to Shelly Ellenwood, a factory worker, who is grateful that the union is giving priority to finding a way for agency workers to be converted to full-time status.
"All for one, one for all, that's how I feel. And my dad, he was working at Harvester, he did the same thing before closing, so, for you, dad, said Ellenwood pointing the sky.
GM officials have made part of its offer available to the union, including committing to invest $ 7 billion in its US business, creating 5,400 jobs and improving wages, health benefits, and more. profit-sharing in order to reach an agreement.
Local officials can not share all the details of bargaining, but they want to be sure to encourage union members.
"They have to know that we are behind them and what they are doing is for a good cause, and they must know that we have their backs all the time," LeTourneau said.
"We work day and night in this union room to make sure everything is taken care of here," said Murphy.
On Tuesday afternoon, WXYZ of Detroit reported that General Motors was immediately cutting health care coverage for striking workers, instead of keeping it in force until the end of the month.
This means that the union will have to take responsibility for the coverage of its strike fund.
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