General Motors Workers wait with Mixed Emotions as Strike Continues

The General Motors strike continues to prolong, even after lasting for about 5 weeks.

About 50,000 workers have been on strike at General Motors for a long duration. The United Auto Workers union has been negotiating with the company heads.

A tentative deal has come into force and its outline has been released by the union. However, the details are still hazy. The decision on ratification of the four-year agreement will be made through voting, and results are awaited.

If the tentative deal gets through, the union members will get a raise on hourly pay by 6 percent for veterans. More employees on temporary jobs will become permanent employees, and get increased pay and can participate in benefits. Health care costs will come down.

Workers will benefit through either annual bonuses or raises. A ratification bonus for $11,000 will also be available.

On its part, General Motors has agreed to open the Detroit located Hamtramck assembly plant. However, the company plans to build electric trucks, but only after a year and workers will have to wait, states the company.

The other plants will continue to remain closed. The Ohio plant and the plants at Michigan, Warren and Baltimore will continue to not function. Workers have now relocated but are unhappy with the move to a new place.

Relocating the Mexican plant back to the U.S. is unlikely, says the vice president at the Automotive Research Center Kristin Dziczek. The company cannot agree to the demand of the union in this issue, he says.

The strike has been very costly for General Motors. It is losing almost $100 million per day, state analysts. The Union workers have won some major concessions. But workers continue to have mixed opinions, as they get only the shiny crust of the deal. The core matter is still not being revealed and the waiting period continues for the strikers.