A labor strike at a key auto supplier has finally forced General Motors Corp. to temporarily idle its assembly plant in Wentzville.

Workers there will stop building full-size vans later today due to a parts shortage, which already has shut down six GM plants around the country.

About 2,400 people work at the Wentzville plant, which assembles the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans.

GM spokesman Tom Wickham said the Wentzville plant would remain idled for the duration of the strike at Detroit-based parts supplier American Axle and Manufacturing Holdings Inc. It supplies drive line components for GM pickups, sport0utility vehicles and full-size vans.

Because of the strike, GM said four more plants will shut down Monday.

The United Auto Workers union struck American Axle on Feb. 26. Negotiations between the UAW and supplier resumed today, American Axle said on its website.

The Wentzville plant only has enough driveline parts to keep the assembly partially running today, and it runs out of those parts during the second shift tonight.

About 350 maintenance workers will continue to report to work at the plant. Some workers also will work Friday, producing parts such things as bumpers, said Bill Schiltz, chairman for UAW Local 2250, the union that represents the workers. Other workers will use the downtime Friday for training programs in the plant.

The number of Wentzville workers who will be laid off temporarily while the plant is idled was not available. Workers are scheduled to meet today to find out about how they would be paid during the shutdown, but officials had no further details about workers’ compensation.

While expressing empathy for American Axle’s workers, Schiltz said he hopes a resolution is reached before customers feel the affect of the work stoppage. “Right now we have a vehicle that’s selling and we don’t want to lose business,” he said. “If you’ve got a loyal customer, they’ll wait. If its a new person, they might say forget GM.”