Chrysler Workers Approve Contract

DETROIT (AP) -- United Auto Workers members have approved a four-year contract agreement with Chrysler despite significant dissent.<br/><br/>The union says 56% of production workers and 51% of skilled

Saturday, October 27th 2007, 1:55 pm

By: News On 6

DETROIT (AP) -- United Auto Workers members have approved a four-year contract agreement with Chrysler despite significant dissent.

The union says 56% of production workers and 51% of skilled trades workers voted for the pact. Clerical workers and engineers represented by the union had higher percentages voting in favor.

Many workers opposed the agreement because it establishes lower wages for some noncore, non-assembly workers. The contract also doesn't make as many promises for future work at U.S. plants.

UAW and Chrysler bargainers reached the agreement earlier this month after a six-hour strike. The deal came the same day the union announced that General Motors workers had approved a similar deal.

About 45,000 Chrysler workers are covered by the contract. Industry analysts have called it historic and say it should make the company more competitive with Japanese automakers.