UAW, Mitsubishi Talk as Workers Strike

The United Auto Workers went on strike early Friday at Mitsubishi Motors Corp.’s plant in Normal, Ill., the first work stoppage by the union against an auto maker in nearly four years.

Negotiations between the Japanese company and the UAW resumed Friday morning after the union told its 2,700 members to walk out at 1:30 a.m.

Neither the auto maker nor the union would specify what the sticking points were in contract negotiations that began June 20.

The plant builds the Eclipse coupe and convertible as well as two models of coupes for the Chrysler side of DaimlerChrysler. Last year it built 222,036 cars. DaimlerChrysler owns a 34% stake in Mitsubishi.s