Essen Motorshow: Car component, car and girl

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UAW president Ron Gettelfinger told members Friday he was trying to speed up negotiations with General Motors and wanted to reach a contract agreement without a strike. ``We are continuing to make progress; however, we are pushing to accelerate the negotiating pace at all levels,'' he said in a message to UAW members. ``It is our desire to reach an agreement without a strike, and we have demonstrated this by staying at the bargaining table up to this point.'' Gettelfinger added that the effort to speed the talks doesn't mean any of the union's options are off the table, including the option to strike, according to the message, which was posted Friday evening on a union website in Oklahoma. GM and the UAW spent Friday negotiating issues such as wages and job security, while experts helped finalize the possible health care deal, according to the people briefed on the negotiations. Local union officials said they'd gotten few updates from bargainers and expressed frustration at the long wait for a new contract. Friday marked one week since the expiration of GM's contract with the union. The UAW has been extending the contract hour by hour since then. Chris Sherwood, the president of Local 652 in Lansing, said it's unusual for the contract to be extended for so long on an hour-by-hour basis. The union is continuing to tell local leaders to have workers ready for a strike if talks break down. ``A week later we're still hanging in there,'' Sherwood said. Gettelfinger said negotiators have met for 18 days straight. He said the union was releasing little information to members because the negotiations frequently change. ``We want you to know once again that we do not take your patience for granted, and GM should know not to take the patience of our bargaining committee for granted either,'' Gettelfinger said.