General Motors hit by nationwide strike

NEW YORK - The United Auto Workers union launched a nationwide strike against General Motors on Monday as 73,000 UAW members. Gettelfinger said the union was ready to discuss the company's key bargaining goal of shifting an estimated $51 billion in health care expenses for retirees and their family members to union-controlled trust funds. But he said that other issues had derailed hopes of an agreement. Most GM dealers won't start to see shortages of vehicles for two to three weeks, even though the strike will immediately halt production of 12,200 vehicles per day or 760 vehicles per hour, said Michael Robinet, vice president of global vehicle forecasts for CSM Worldwide.