Negotiations to Resume Today at Idled GM Plants

As General Motors Corp. began its annual two-week shutdown of North American plants, talks aimed at ending strikes that have halted most of the auto maker’s production ended Saturday without resolution.

The strikes at two parts plants by about 9,200 workers have caused the layoffs of about 162,600 other GM workers from 26 assembly plants and about 100 parts plants across North America.

GM and the United Auto Workers talked just under four hours Saturday at the Flint Metal Center, company spokeswoman Mary Irby said. Talks lasted about 4 1/2 hours at the Delphi Flint East plant. Negotiations were to resume today.

The summer shutdown is typically a paid vacation for most union employees while some workers remain to do annual maintenance and updating. But GM has ordered a “cold shutdown,” meaning plant managers were told to lay off all nonessential workers.