By Associated Press
Athens AL – An Alabama factory that makes parts of General Motors vehicles wasn't immediately affected by a strike against the automaker, a union leader said Monday.
Vaughn Goodwin, president of UAW Local 2195, said union members remained on the job at the Delphi Corp. plant after thousands of United Auto Workers walked off their jobs at GM factories in other states.
The Delphi plant, which makes drive systems and steering assemblies, was not targeted by the union and should continue production unless GM plants begin closing, Goodwin said.
"If they're not building cars we're not making parts," he said.
Delphi is under bankruptcy protection in federal court but hopes to emerge by the end of the year.
The Athens plant, which employed more than 2,000 people before Delphi declared bankruptcy in fall 2005, is scheduled to close in 2009. It has lost more than half its workers to buyouts designed to reduce labor costs.