Tonawanda, NY (WBEN) - It's been over a week, yet there's no news on when the UAW-GM Strike may end.
Workers left their jobs Monday after their four-year contract expired. They're seeking a bigger piece of GM's profits, a path to permanent jobs for temporary workers, and to stop the closure of some manufacturing plants.
The last update on negotiations said that bargainers were meeting Sunday at GM's headquarters in Detroit.
How long can it go?
"I was hopeful that we wouldn't have one at all," said industry analyst Art Wheaton. "It's lasting longer than I thought, but once you go on strike it's almost impossible to predict when it will end."
"The best thing I can say is that we're not hearing a lot in the news about any new updates," Wheaton said. "Usually you don't want to bargain in the press. By not having any news, that's good."
No mater how long the strike lasts, JR Baker, President of the UAW Local 774, said his members are ready
"We were prepared to do what we have to do as far as striking for our benefits," said JR Baker, President of the UAW Local 774. "We can't control the other end in negotiations because it's pretty much up to GM to meet our demands. Until that happens, everybody knows they're going to be out here in full force."