UAW won’t strike today at GM’s Kansas and Grand Rapids plants

Sharon Terlep / The Detroit News

General Motors Corp. has avoided another strike — at least for today.

The United Auto Workers has extended its strike deadlines at two factories where the union was threatening to launch walkouts this morning, including the plant that makes GM’s hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu.

Workers at a Grand Rapids stamping plant and a Kansas City, Kansas, assembly plant where the Malibu is made were told to be prepared to walk off the job this morning.

But negotiations remain under way and the union agreed to give GM at least 12 hours notice before sending workers to the picket line, GM spokesman Dan Flores said.

The Grand Rapids factory employs about 1,400 hourly workers and does stamping for several GM vehicles. The Kansas City assembly plant employs about 1,900 hourly workers, according to a GM Web site.

Tense negotiations are under way over plant-level labor contracts at GM locals around the country. Strike threats loom over two other plants, and the UAW has been on strike since April 17 at a Lansing-area plant that makes GM’s popular crossover SUVs.

UAW Local 549, representing the Mansfield stamping plant, said workers may strike by Monday if a plant level contract isn’t reached. The factory employs about 1,500 hourly workers, according to a GM Web site.

Workers stayed on the job at a Warren transmission plant, where the UAW and GM continued to negotiate through a strike deadline last week. The UAW will give GM 12 hours notice before calling any strike at that plant.