This from the Kokomo Tribune: KOKOMO, IN- Around 250 workers at the Kokomo General Motors Components Holding plant put down their picket signs Friday afternoon, along with around 49,000 other United Auto Worker members, after ratifying a new contract that ends a 40-day strike that paralyzed the company’s U.S. production.
But local workers aren’t thrilled with the decision. UAW Local 292 members on Friday overwhelmingly voted to reject the contract, with 80% of production workers and 64% of skilled trades voting it down.
Nationally, union members voted in favor or the agreement, with 57.2% of production, skilled and salary workers saying yes to the contract.
UAW Local 292 Shop Chair Greg Wohlford said Friday the biggest reason local workers disapproved of the agreement was the fact it didn’t guarantee jobs would stay in Kokomo or any other GM plant and not be shipped to Mexico or other overseas locations.
“Nationally, the union spoke,” he said. “We’ll start back to work on Monday and see what we can do. But no matter which way people voted, there are no hard feelings.”