(WXYZ) — The UAW has filed a lawsuit against General Motors claiming the automaker has breached its labor contract with the United Auto Workers by using temporary workers at the Fort Wayne, Ind. Assembly Plant and not transferring senior employees from a shuttered Ohio plant.
According to the UAW, they are hoping to get a court to force GM to transfer seniority union members to the Fort Wayne plant and abide by the contract.
The UAW said that there are about 1,000 seniority employees on layoff nationwide, including 690 employees that were laid off at the Lordstown Ohio Assembly Plant, which was one of several plants GM announced would close in Detroit, Ohio and Canada. The UAW claims that many of the Lordstown employees have applied to transfer openings at the Fort Wayne plant.
"UAW members negotiated a binding agreement and we expect General Motors to follow the contract they agreed to and GM members ratified,” UAW VP and Director of the GM Department Terry Dittes said in a release.
According to the lawsuit, the UAW agreed that GM could extend the temporary groups through Dec. 31, 2018, if the company presented a plan to eliminate the temps and transfer other seniority employees.
"By allowing the use of the temporary group through November 30, 2018, the UAW afforded the Company adequate time to transfer seniority employees to Fort Wayne Assembly," the lawsuit reads.
UAW files lawsuit against GM claiming breach of contract by WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit on Scribd
