UAW will consider strike at Chrysler's Fenton South plant

Gregory Cancelada, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH - - Frustrated by contract disputes, the United Auto Workers union is considering a strike at DaimlerChrysler AG's South plant in Fenton, a source of the automaker's popular line of minivans.

The minivan workers will vote Thursday on whether to authorize a strike, although the UAW hopes to resolve the disputes without resorting to a work stoppage. DaimlerChrysler executives couldn't be reached Friday for comment. At issue is the local contract between the automaker and UAW Local 110, which represents the minivan workers. Assembly plants organized by the UAW operate under a set of two contracts: a national contract that covers wages and benefits, and a local contract that governs each plant's workplace rules and procedures.

Though the local contract doesn't expire until 2009, the union says DaimlerChrysler hasn't fulfilled its part of the contract.

The union accuses the automaker of violating the local contract in numerous areas, including overtime, the arbitrary use of discipline, and health and safety issues.

"Day to day, we deserve to get what we agreed upon," Local 110 President Glenn Woemmel said Friday. The union says it has tried to resolve the dispute, and accuses DaimlerChrysler of bargaining in bad faith. "These problems are solvable," Woemmel said.

"It just takes movement on their part." If workers do vote next week to grant authorization for a strike, there will be time for further negotiations. The facility will close for four weeks starting July 24 to prepare for the 2007 model year. The South plant employs about 3,300 people to build the Dodge Caravan and Grand Caravan and the Chrysler Town & Country minivans. Beside the South plant, DaimlerChrysler builds these vehicles at Windsor, Ontario.

The disputes don't extend to the adjacent North assembly plant, which employs about 2,300 workers to assemble Dodge Ram pickups.