The United Automobile Workers union walked off the job at Chrysler LLC plants nationwide this morning after the two sides failed to reach agreement on a new four-year contract by a union-set deadline. Chrysler has about 48,000 workers in the United States. About 12,000 workers are exempt from the strike, however, while their plants are temporarily closed by Chrysler. The strike is the second in two weeks by the union against a Detroit automaker. Workers at General Motors struck for two days before the union reached a tentative deal with G.M. on Sept. 26. G.M. workers are set to finish voting on their agreement today. Although some local unions have rejected the contract, it is expected to be approved.
See "Auto Union Workers Walk Out at Chrysler", Micheline Maynard and Nick Bunkley, The New York Times, October 9, 2007