Author: Jamie L. LaReau, Detroit Free Press

The UAW’s lead negotiator with GM says the negotiations still need to address wages, job security and pension issues.

The UAW’s nationwide strike against GM has cost the company about $1 billion.
But GM can withstand the loss because of what it stands to gain.

On Tuesday, GM idled its plant in Silao, Mexico that builds Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups due to a parts shortage from the UAW strike.

All proposals are at the main table and “back and forth will continue until negotiations are complete.”

The UAW contract with GM expired at midnight Saturday and the union on Sunday called for a strike of all 46,000 GM workers in the US.

The United Auto Workers had told GM that autoworkers would report for their shifts Sunday even though the union’s contract expired at midnight.

In a letter to union officers Saturday evening, a UAW official said the contract with GM would not be extended, but no immediate strike was planned.

General Motors is delaying the launch of its self-driving cars, which it had promised to launch in the form of a ride-sharing service this year.

The suit seeking class action certification filed Monday against Ford adds the F-150 to recent claims the automaker misled consumers on fuel economy.

NHTSA is not doing a sufficient job at proactively protecting consumers from unsafe cars, safety advocates say.