Gm, Uaw Resume Talks On Contract

General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers resumed negotiations Wednesday on a national contract as Canadian auto workers voted on a pact to end a three-week strike.

Officials of the Canadian Auto Workers held eight meetings in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec to explain the tentative agreement to 26,300 GM workers. The deal was clinched Tuesday and quick ratification was expected.

In Detroit, GM’s talks with the UAW continued, but there was no word from either side on how close negotiators were to a settlement. Analysts expect a deal within days once the CAW contract is approved.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s a lot of controversy,” said Nicholas Lobaccaro of Bear, Stearns & Co. “It doesn’t sound like there’s the threat of a strike right now.”

The UAW and CAW are independent unions, but have coordinated their strategy in this round of Big Three contract talks.

While the strike against GM of Canada Ltd. was all but over, its effects were expected to ripple through the North American manufacturing operations of the world’s largest automaker for at least another week.