Wayne is crucial because it comes a day after workers at another large truck plant in Wentzville, Mo., near St. Louis, approved the four-year contract by 57% to 43% with about 3,500 people voting.
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Hourly workers at the plant previous year voted 712-626 against UAW representation following heavy campaigning by anti-labour politicians and groups.
The Detroit Free Press reports that workers at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, three sites in Pontiac and large plants in Missouri and Tennessee all gave the new contract clear majorities on Wednesday. Those GMCH workers will have a chance to move to assembly, powertrain or stamping plants, but until there are openings they would be paid between $16.25 and $19.86 an hour, depending on seniority.
Kristin Dziczek, labor analyst with the Center for Automotive Research, said that overall, workers appeared on their way to passing the deal.
Most production workers have reportedly been giving the deal the nod, while skilled-trades workers, who are easily outnumbered by assembly line employees, have been voting against the contract.
The UAW’s voting on GM’s proposed agreement to 52,700 of its USA factory workers began late last week and ends Saturday.
The agreement was narrowly turned down by a mere eight votes.
It has been less than a week since UAW leaders said yes to a tentative contract with General Motors that would provide better health care, a signing bonus and raises.
There is an area set aside inside the plant for employees to vote. Workers at plants in Lake Orion, Mich. (1,553 workers), Defiance, Ohio (1,026 workers) and the Lansing Grand River plant in Michigan (1,570 workers) also accepted the deal. The UAW and Ford Motor Co. would be the last major contract to be completed.
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The UAW is not expected to announce the final tally of the GM vote until the weekend.
