The United Auto Workers announced after midnight on Monday morning that its members are to strike at 11 a.m. Monday morning, all across the nation. The strike was not yet canceled, which means UAW negotiators have not reached an agreement as of this time. The UAW issued the press release announcing the strike at 1:40 a.m. on Monday, but continued to negotiate with General Motors Corp. through the night.

"We’re shocked and disappointed that General Motors has failed to recognize and appreciate what our membership has contributed during the past four years," UAW President Ron Gettelfinger is quoted in the press release as saying. "Since 2003, our members have made extraordinary efforts every time the company came to us with a problem: the corporate restructuring, the attrition plan, the Delphi bankruptcy, the 2005 health care agreement. In every case, our members went the extra mile to find reasonable solutions."

Gettelfinger also criticized GM's failure to acknowledge and properly reward the fact that the dedication of UAW members has helped GM set new standards for safety, quality and productivity in their manufacturing facilities. Instead, GM's "reward" is "a complete failure by GM to address the reasonable needs and concerns of our members", the statement reads.

Negotiators are expected to stay with General Motors Corp. up until 11 a.m. if necessary to try to solve the deadlock. Indeed, UAW has cooperated with the automaker to help it emerge from bankruptcy, but now the company expects to, more or less, maintain those harsh standards even if it doesn't face immediate financial problems. GM alleges there are "complex, difficult issues that affect the job security of [their] U.S. workforce and the long-term viability of the company."

The United Auto Workers's contract with General Motors Corp. was to expire on Sept 14 but was since extended pending the negotiations. The UAW has singled out, for now, GM, but there are also contracts which need to be resigned with Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC.

GM has failed to reach an agreement regarding the voluntary employee beneficiary association, or VEBA (a retiree health-care trust). GM wants the independent trust to relieve it of health-care commitments. The VEBA would have, in addition, oversight from UAW. General Motors Corp. has allegedly threatened that it would have to outsource some of its production facilities if it is to fail in creating the VEBA, and UAW has asked in return for the automaker agree to job security issues, which would guarantee that the company will continue to manufacture future products in the United States.

You can read the UAW press release here:
http://www.uaw.org/news/newsarticle.cfm?ArtId=494