Local News in Brief : New Vote Taken at GM

Workers at the General Motors assembly plant in Van Nuys voted again Monday on a controversial job-sharing plan that they turned down only two weeks ago.

Announcement of the results is expected early today. In the first vote, workers defeated the plan by a margin of only eight of the 2,636 votes cast, but a new vote was held because of alleged voting irregularities.

The work force is bitterly divided over the proposal that would reduce the working hours of all 3,800 employees at the Van Nuys plant in order to avert the indefinite layoff of 1,900 workers. GM has said that some kind of work reduction is necessary because sales of the Pontiac Firebirds and Chevrolet Camaros produced at the plant have been sluggish.

Joe Garcia, treasurer for United Auto Workers Local 645, said he believes that about 80% of the day shift, mostly older workers with seniority, voted “no.” But, Garcia said, “we’re expecting most of the night shift will vote yes and pass the plan.” Most of the night shift are younger workers who would lose their jobs if the proposal fails.