Gm Shuts Down Two More Plants

General Motors Corp. shut two more assembly plants, bringing to 142,600 the number of GM workers idled because of strikes by the United Auto Workers in Flint, Mich.

The walkouts, now in their 19th day, created parts shortages that have forced the world’s largest automaker to shut 26 of 30 assembly plants and reduce output at about 100 parts factories in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. GM has now furloughed 44 percent of its North American hourly work force.

The cost to GM is rising now that 93 percent of its North American vehicle production has stopped. There’s no sign of progress to resolve the strikes, which will have cost the automaker $800 million in lost second-quarter profit by the weekend, according to a Merrill Lynch estimate.

Both sides “are entrenched in their positions,” said Mike Robinet, managing director of CSM Forecasting.