By HEATHER BAUGHMAN

baughman@crescent-news.com

Around 800 of Defiance General Motors Powertrain's 1,521 hourly employees have been idled as a result of the American Axle and Manufacturing strike, however, there is still plenty of work keeping the remaining employees busy.

Plant communications manager Wanda Wellman reported that the AAM strike has intermittently idled the local plant's crank, block, head and malleable lines, as well as portions of its aluminum product lines as customers' schedules have been reduced.

However, about half of the plant's employees continue to report to work as usual.

"The Powertrain Defiance plant supplies GM factories in Tonawanda, N.Y.; Toledo; Flint, Warren, Willow Run, Romulus, and Livonia, Mich.; Mishawaka, Ind.; Spring Hill, Tenn.; Siliao, Mexico; and St. Catharines and Windsor, Canada. Many of these customers continue to build products, which allows us to continue running the majority of our product lines, thus minimizing the impact to our employees," Wellman said.

The AAM strike began Feb. 26 after talks between the company and United Auto Workers officials broke down. Since then, the ripple effect has touched dozens of General Motors facilities in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Locally, work has been intermittently and partially suspended since March 10.

With talks still continuing between AAM and UAW officials, the future of the local plant is unclear.

"It would not be appropriate for me to speculate on what may or may not occur in the future," Wellman said. "We will continue to monitor the situation at American Axle and make adjustments necessary for our business. If additional reductions are required, we will inform our employees first of any changes in our production schedule."

Currently, employees on temporary layoff are eligible to receive both unemployment compensation and supplemental unemployment benefits. Wellman said employees are eligible for unemployment benefits for a maximum of 48 weeks.

"At this time, employees impacted by the strike-related temporary layoff periods volunteer by inverse seniority date following the provision of the UAW/GM national agreement. We feel that the voluntary option minimizes the impact to our employees," Wellman said.

The plant's salaried employees are reporting to work as usual and the annual plant shut down, which occurs in accordance with the corporation's Independence Day holiday week, will continue as usual, with operations being idled between June 30 and July 11.