SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WTVF) — Workers at the General Motors plant in Spring Hill were finally called to join the United Auto Workers strike happening all over the country.
Workers under the local union started picketing at 5 p.m. Saturday evening. Those who were working Saturday, including president of the union, John Rutherford, walked out of the plant together to begin the strike.
They picked up their picket signs that they have had ready for weeks.
Tens of Thousands of auto workers have been on strike across the country going on seven weeks, asking for more pay and better contracts.
On Wednesday, Ford made an agreement with the UAW, which was a breakthrough and could set the tone for deals with other companies such as GM.
It has been said there has been progress in the union's talks with GM, but the UAW presented a counter-offer of 25 percent pay increases over four years.
More than 3,000 UAW members are at this Spring Hill plant.
Now we wait to see if this will urge negotiations to happen faster and what impact this will have locally.
The UAW has a strike fund to help continue to pay workers through the strike. Workers have to be in good standing of the union to receive those benefits.
NewsChannel 5 will have continuing coverage from the picket lines.
