GM workers go on strike

More than 49,000 workers at U.S. General Motors plants headed to the picket lines on Monday. Members of the United Auto Workers shut down 33 manufacturing plants in nine states and 22 parts warehouses. About 200 plant-level union leaders on Sunday voted unanimously in favor of the strike, which is the union’s first national work stoppage since a two-day walkout in 2007.

Why are they on strike? Talks on a new contract broke down in recent days over “fair wages; affordable, quality healthcare; our share of profits; job security; a defined path to permanent seniority for temporary workers,” UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg said. GM said it offered to invest more than $7 billion in U.S. factories, create more than 5,000 positions, provide “best in class wages and benefits,” and improve profit sharing.

Dig deeper: Read Lynde Langdon’s report from last year, when GM cut 14,000 jobs.