National labor talks between Detroit's automakers and the United Auto Workers union have begun against a backdrop of record-breaking sales that have left General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler flush with cash.

Purchasing, July, 1999

National labor talks between Detroit's automakers and the United Auto Workers union have begun against a backdrop of record-breaking sales that have left General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler flush with cash. This year's talks will cover about 407,000 UAW members at assembly and parts plants nationwide, down 15,000 from 1996.

Job security, health care costs, overtime demands, and assignment of work to outside suppliers are among the top issues in this year's talks, says labor professor Harley Shaiken at the University of California- Berkeley. He suggests the health of the U.S. auto industry and the costly lessons learned from last year's devastating UAW strikes against GM lower the chances for a walkout when this year's contracts expire September 14.