DETROIT – General Motors CEO Mary Barra and President Mark Reuss were meeting with United Auto Workers (UAW) leaders Tuesday morning as the union's national strike against GM is in its 30th day.
This is a sign that the parties could be getting closer to reaching a tentative deal for a new contract.
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On Monday, the union announced it called the National GM Council to Detroit as negotiations between the union and automaker continue. A meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday.
Here's a look at what's on the negotiation table:
- The current time to progress to top pay with full-time, full benefits status is eight years. The UAW wants that knocked down to four years.
- The union also wants temporary workers to be able to qualify for progression.
- Workers will get 3 percent raises and lump sum bonuses in two of four years.
- Workers will get enhanced health care at no extra cost.
Former GM negotiator Dr. Arthur Schwartz said he has a theory for why reaching an agreement is taking so long.
"It appears that the leaders right now are not confident that they'll be able to sell an agreement to the membership and get it ratified," he said.
UAW Mack Truck member strike
The United Automobile Workers Mack Truck members went on strike at 11:59 p.m. Saturday for better pay, benefits and job protections.
According to the union, 3,600 Mack Truck workers in three states -- Florida, Maryland and Pennsylvania -- are on strike.
On Saturday, the union announced striking GM workers will get an additional $25 a week and can now work part-time during the strike.
The UAW International Executive Board voted Saturday to increase the strike pay to $275, effective Sunday. The strike pay was set to increase Jan. 1, 2020.
The national strike against GM began on Sept. 15 and, by the next day, nearly 50,000 union members had stopped reporting to work. The strike has resulted in the shutting down of 33 manufacturing plants and 22 part distribution facilities nationwide.