Striking workers at two General Motors Corp. brake factories are sorry their walkout has idled more than 87,000 fellow employees but insist their protest will eventually benefit them all.
"We're taking a stand for the whole country of automakers," striking worker Joe Plummer said as he picketed outside a GM Delphi Chassis plant. "We're here trying to protect our jobs."The strike by 2,700 workers at the two Delphi Chassis brake plants at Dayton began March 5, mainly over the issue of out-sourc-ing, the production of parts by outside plants or com-panies.
The union fears outsourcing could result in the permanent loss of GM jobs.
Striker Jim Jewett, 51, of Carlisle said he was concerned about idling GM workers at other plants.
"But a month from now, six months from now, they might benefit from what we're doing," Jewett said. "So in a sense, we're doing this for them too."
Since the strike began, the company has been forced to shut down 21 of 29 North American assembly plants and nine parts plants.
Talks resumed Tuesday night but broke off just before midnight without any resolution. Talks were to resume sometime Wednesday.