Workers at GM plant protest use of Mexican labor

That and other issues between GM and United Auto Workers Local 594 have been simmering for several months. The dispute comes as GM and the UAW have said they want to improve their weak relationship.

The workers protested before their shifts and during lunch breaks at the GM Validation Center. No work was interrupted, local Vice President Larry Trandell said.

The center is used to test assembly plant equipment and train workers in procedures for assembling new models before they go into production. The Mexican workers are from GM's Silao, Mexico, plant where a new generation of GM's full-size sport utility vehicles will be built.

Trandell said the Mexican workers, who are not UAW members, are supposed to be observing procedures, but are performing hands-on work in violation of the GM-UAW contract.

"We think it's a big safety hazard," he said. "They can't speak English, and we have no documentation that they have any of the safety training."

The workers help build prototype vehicles and take what they learn home to help set up new assembly equipment and train workers at their own plant. The intent is to discover problems and validate the proper procedures early to provide for smoother, faster launches of new models.

GM spokesperson Dan Flores said the work being done by the Mexican workers is no different from that done by visiting workers from other GM plants in the United States.

"They are GM employees here legally on GM business," he said. "We maintain that those employees are operating under the terms of the local agreement, that there is no violation."

The UAW workers also are upset over an order that they wear safety glasses at all times in non-office areas of the complex, including during breaks. Trandell also charged that GM was trying to change the grievance procedure that has been in place for 25 years.

Flores said the expanded safety glass policy was an effort to protect workers. "We've had a number of serious eye injuries over the past three years."

Workers at the Pontiac East truck assembly plant, who also are represented by Local 594, went on strike for three months last year. The main issue was staffing levels.

After UAW members at two GM parts plants in Flint went on strike last summer, virtually shutting down GM's North American production, company and union leaders said they would communicate regularly to settle future disputes before they escalate to strikes.

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