Motoryzacja

As thousands of General Motors workers await word on more U.S. plant closures, reports that the company plans to import Chinese-made vehicles to the United States have created a political problem for the automaker and the White House.

HAMBURG TOWNSHIP — The president of the United Auto Workers says he is optimistic that the union can settle several contracts disputes at General Motors Corp. factories.

Negotiators for Chrysler LLC and the Canadian Auto Workers union began concession talks in earnest Tuesday amid threats by the company to pull out of Canada without more givebacks and the union saying it wants Chrysler to stick to a deal it reached with General Motors Corp.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who plans to retire next month, defended the 2007 concession allowing Chrysler, Ford and General Motors to pay new workers about half as much as their veteran line mates, saying, "We did what we had to do to get to tomorrow."

WASHINGTON -- United Auto Workers president Ron Gettelfinger suggested today that a mid-February deadline for General Motors and Chrysler to complete their restructuring plans may be "almost unattainable."