P.M. BRIEFING : GM Free to Close Plants at Will

General Motors Corp. is free to close plants at will but will spend $4.2 billion to protect the income of employees affected by cutbacks under its new labor agreement with the United Auto Workers.

The 300-member GM Bargaining Council met to discuss the tentative contract reached Monday, the first step toward submitting the pact to the membership.

The meeting was closed, but a summary of contract details given to group members cited $4.2 billion in income guarantees and indicated that language curbing the company’s right to close plants was eliminated.

Under the pact, GM will guarantee workers laid off for up to 12 weeks in a year 95% of their wages by supplementing their unemployment benefits, the newspaper said. Anyone laid off for more than 12 weeks will be guaranteed full pay for the duration of the contract.