The current 4-year contracts between the UAW and the three major American automakers expires on September 14th. GM's hourly labor costs have decreased to $57 in the past four years, which are now on par with Ford's and Chrysler's hourly labor costs of $58 and $51, respectively. The UAW hopes to maintain the American manufacturer's competitive labor costs.
See "GM CEO: UAW talks can't lead to higher labor costs", Deepa Seetharaman and Bernie Woodall, Chicago Tribune, July 26, 2011