Workers strike GM Malibu plant

Members of a United Auto Workers union local went on strike at General Motors Corp.’s Fairfax facility — hitting the plant that makes GM’s popular Malibu sedan.

During talks over the weekend, UAW Local 31 set a strike deadline of 10 a.m. EDT today after union negotiators decided that a settlement was not near. The Fairfax plant employs more than 2,500 UAW members.

The plant makes the Chevrolet Malibu, a medium-sized sedan that was named “Car of the Year" at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The strike today hits a key GM product at a time when the company can ill afford it. Last week GM announced that it lost $3.3 billion in the first quarter, due largely to one-time charges and North American losses.