More than 600 workers at the DMAX plant in Moraine have been temporarily laid off while the General Motors strike continues. DMAX is a GM majority owned plant that supplies turbo-diesel engines for GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado HD pickup trucks.
Hundreds of General Motors parts suppliers across the country have been affected by the labor dispute . A new report estimates financial losses for GM are approaching $2 billion.
The report from Michigan-based Anderson Economic Group estimates lost worker wages, nationally, at close to $1 billion.
GM United Auto Workers members have been on strike for more than a month.
Some of those lost worker wages could be mitigated by any large settlement GM agrees to pay out to UAW members when the strike ends, but Anderson Public Policy Director Brian Peterson says that settlement would not help GM suppliers hard-hit by the strike, including Navistar in Springfield and DMAX in Moraine.
“The real challenge here is that these Automotive supplier workers who were temporarily laid off or had their hours reduced are not getting any kind of incentive check right? So, that's still $533 million in lost wages that won't be recovered even though the strike is ending,” he says.
In a statement, IUE-CWA local 755 President, Michael Gross, said the strike has been difficult for DMAX workers but they remain fully behind the UAW.
“We expect that to be temporary and we are working and talking to DMAX every day,” he says. “Obviously it's always very difficult and it's always a hardship when you're out of work, but sometimes it's necessary. We stand fully in support of our sisters and brothers with the United Auto Workers.”
Voting is expected to continue Friday on a tentative agreement announced last week between the UAW and GM. A simple majority vote is needed to ratify it. But Peterson says it could take some time for GM’s supply chain to ramp up enough to get workers and suppliers back to work.
