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UAW Workers Strike Plant in KCK

Striking workers outside the GM plant, Kansas City, Kan.
photo: Dan Verbeck, KCUR
Striking workers outside the GM plant, Kansas City, Kan.

By Dan Verbeck

Kansas City, Kansas – General Motors has been banking on its popular Chevy Malibu to help lift it from a $3.3 billion loss in the first quarter.

The Malibu is built in two plants. One of them is struck today by United Auto Workers. It's in Kansas City, Kansas.

A few trucks move through the gates of this plant where normally more than 2500 UAW men and women work, but there's no one inside to unload a truck at the docks.

There was a strike last October over national issues, but it's been more than 30 years since this plant had a local-issue walkout. Bill Weems and Rick Tracy started working here in the 1970's: thirty two years! have you ever had an issue like this come up before, one that wasn't resolved?' not bein resolved, we've had these issues before but we've always been able to work em out.

Chevy Malibu is one of GM's bestsellers, but it's not being made here now.

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