Motoryzacja

The tentative new labor contract between the UAW and General Motors Corp. will likely save the troubled automaker more than the $1 billion that an earlier proposed deal was to save. The tentative deal, which still must be ratified by members, resembles what the union agreed to concede to Chrysler LLC prior to its filing for bankruptcy protection.

Ford Motor Co. today outlined the differences it sees between its labor contract with the UAW and the contracts the union reached last spring with General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC.

While the UAW begins the process of ratifying its tentative contract with General Motors Corp., labor talks at Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC have not yet kicked into full swing again. Talks at those domestic automakers might not resume in earnest until Monday, or until the ratification process at GM is well under way, a person close to the negotiations told the Free Press.

The UAW and General Motors Corp. appear to be on the brink of reaching a tentative agreement on a new labor contract today. Negotiations ended late Saturday after several days of marathon sessions. Talks are to resume late this morning, a GM official and one union local leader said Saturday night.

The new labor deal between General Motors and the Canadian Auto Workers union, ratified Wednesday, is coming under attack from Detroit rivals Chrysler and Ford Motor -- and signaling that contentious negotiations could be on the horizon.