03/27/2008

By TOM KRISHER  / Associated Press

The increasingly bitter monthlong strike at auto parts maker American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. could start hitting General Motors Corp. where it hurts next week.

Two car factories in Michigan and Ohio likely are to be the next affected by the strike, which already has fully or partially shut down 28 GM factories in the U.S. and Canada due to parts shortages.

Previously the strike had affected only plants that assemble or supply parts for slow-selling pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles, but a person familiar with GM's production said Thursday that it could shut down the Detroit-Hamtramck car assembly plant as early as next week.

Five Indiana plants have stopped production since the strike: an assembly plant in Fort Wayne, stamping plants in Indianapolis and Marion, a casting plant in Bedford and an AM General plant in Mishawaka that makes the Hummer H2.

The person didn't want to be identified because employees of the plant had not been notified.

In addition, a local union official at a Lordstown, Ohio, car factory said he was told by plant management that his factory could be idled on April 4.

The Lordstown complex near Youngstown makes the Chevrolet Cobalt and Pontiac G5 small cars. Detroit-Hamtramck makes the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS cars.

The Cobalt, which gets up to 33 miles per gallon of gasoline on the highway, has sold well of late. Through February, its sales are up 43.5 percent when compared with the first two months of last year.

About 3,600 UAW workers at five American Axle plants in Michigan and New York went on strike Feb. 26 in a wage and benefit dispute.