After years of disputes and strikes, Lordstown, Ohio UAW Local 1112, is working with management to survive the economic crisis. The union covers more than 3,000 workers, and a spokesmen said that they had to work to together to protect those members. The historically oppositional local approved a new operating agreement in 2008 that contained provisions that would have normally caused fierce opposition. The spirit of cooperation continued when GM asked for labor concessions in May. Many past problems with workers and management have faded away, and the plant is now one of the most efficient and productive. The plant will be the site of the new Chevrolet Cruze, whose success is regarded as essential to the future of the company.
See "A Once-Defiant UAW Local Now Focuses on GM's success", Nick Bunkley, The New York Times, January 5, 2010