Chrysler workers begin voting on new contract

Local Chrysler  workers will be  voting throughout  today on a new labor contract. The vote began at 8 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m. for  active members  of the United Auto Workers Local 136. That union represents more than 2,000  employees who assemble the Dodge Ram pickup at Chrysler’s North Assembly plant in Fenton.

Union officials will  release the  vote results  shortly after  voting is completed Thursday  at 8 p.m., said Glenn Kage, financial secretary and treasurer for Local 136. The union declined to comment until all its members had the opportunity to vote.

Several UAW officials from Detroit came  to speak at  meetings  about  the details of the proposed contract they helped barter with Chrysler on Oct. 10.  A newsletter containing details of the proposed contract was distributed this week by both UAW Local 136 and UAW Local 110. Local 110 represents about 3,000 members  at  the Chrysler’s  South Assembly plant in Fenton,  which assembles the  Town & Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan minivans.

To be ratified, the contract must  receive  a majority of votes from the 49,000 Chrysler employees nationwide who are represented  by the UAW.  The UAW Local  136 has more than 2,000 members, Kage said. Members  of  UAW Local  110 will vote on the same contract between 4 a.m. on Friday and 4 a.m. on  Saturday.