GM Workers Strike in U.S.

More than 73,000 unionized workers at General Motors have gone on strike in the United States.

United Auto Workers (UAW) workers launched the strike at noon today after an 11 a.m. deadline passed to reach a settlement with management at GM. The strike affects every GM plant in the U.S.

About 19,000 GM workers in Canada will be affected by the strike action as well, as vehicle parts south of the border stop arriving to car and truck assembly plants in Windsor, St. Catharines and Oshawa.

Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) president Buzz Hargrove will discuss the potential implications for the Canadian industry later on Monday. He is expected to meet with the media in Toronto today at 1:30 p.m.

It is the first national strike by UAW since 1976. GM, thought to be in the best shape of the Big Three North American manufacturers, nevertheless exemplifies the state of the domestic car industry, reporting losses of $12.3 billion over the past two years.