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General Motors would be able to buy out as many as 24,000 UAW workers and replace them with lower-paid hires under a tentative contract agreement, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday. Such a potential buyout stems from a move by the union to expand the definition of non-production job classifications. GM will be able to hire at a much lower pay package janitors, landscape workers and material handlers, the report said. It will also be allowed to define some entry-level production work and skilled-trade positions as a "non-core position," whereby they get paid about half or less of the $70-to-$75 an hour wage-and-benefit package traditionally given UAW members.