Progress Achieved In Auto Negotiations

Signs of progress have begun emerging from talks between General Motors Corp. and the United Auto Workers as the end of a summer vacation shutdown nears and GM faces the prospect that strike losses will soon begin piling up again.

Talks resumed Wednesday morning after running late into the night Tuesday, a marked change to the daily banker’s hours negotiators had been keeping since the first strike began June 5.

Richard Shoemaker, the UAW vice president in charge of GM relations, said negotiations had become “more focused” but that major issues remained on the tables.

“There was some progress made,” Shoemaker said. “There’s still a lot of issues that have to be resolved and a lot of work to be done. The parties are still far apart on a lot of issues.

GM spokeswoman Mary Irby said the automaker was pleased the talks ran long. “They wouldn’t have met that long if it weren’t for good reason,” she said.

The negotiations have intensified as GM nears the end of its two-week summer vacation shutdown. There has been speculation GM wants a settlement by Friday so production can resume by Monday.