UAW-GM contract vote results due today -- follow updates here

Vote results expected by Friday evening

DETROIT – Friday was the 40th day of the United Auto Workers union's national strike against General Motors, and members voted to ratify a proposed contract, ending the strike.

Final votes poured in from UAW members across the state of Michigan and the rest of the country. Members were asked to vote on the tentative contract agreement with GM.


  • The International UAW set the deadline for all votes to be tallied by 4 p.m. Friday.
  • They are expected to make an announcement on the fate of the deal by 5 p.m. Friday.
  • A simple majority is all that's needed to ratify the contract.
  • Things could be back up and running at plants right away. Skilled trades workers likely will be called back to work as soon as possible -- possibly this weekend.

Across the country a handful of plants rejected the contract.

The national strike officially started at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 15. Nearly 50,000 workers at GM plants across the country were on strike for fair wages, affordable health care, a greater share of profits, job security and a defined path to permanent employment for temporary workers. 


More UAW-GM strike coverage:


At the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant, there was a lot riding on this contract -- a product, first and foremost. As part of the deal, GM is putting an electric pickup truck at the plant that will likely lead to other electric SUVs over time.

"I thought it was a good deal. I thought it was fair," Gregory Frost said.

When UAW Local 22 went to the ballot box on Thursday, members had an incentive to approve the deal. They found out it passed Thursday night with a 77% approval.

Longest GM strike since 1970s

Workers walked the picket line for 40 days, the longest strike at GM since the 1970s.

"I'm surprised for as long as we've been out here, that we didn't make better gains for the new hires. I'm just disappointed for them," James Foulks said.

Tiered pay and the length of time for temporary workers to become full time were sticking points. The $11,000 signing bonus, raises and no change to GM's luxury health care packages were all big wins for the union.

A simple majority is all that was needed to ratify the contract.

Follow updates here:


About the Authors

Rod Meloni is an Emmy Award-winning Business Editor on Local 4 News and a Certified Financial Planner™ Professional.

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