SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549-1004
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report
(Date of earliest event reported) July 14, 1998
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GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
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(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
STATE OF DELAWARE 1-143 38-0572515
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(State or other jurisdiction (Commission File Number) (I.R.S. Employer
of incorporation) Identification No.)
100 Renaissance Center, Detroit, Michigan 48243-7301
3044 West Grand Boulevard, Detroit, Michigan 48202-3091
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(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code (313)-556-5000
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ITEM 5. OTHER EVENTS
(a) On July 14, 1998, a news release was issued on the subject of
GM's filing of a complaint against the UAW in the U.S. District Court. The
news release was as follows:
GM FILES COMPLAINT IN U.S. COURT
DETROIT -- The following statement is attributable to Thomas A. Gottschalk,
Senior Vice President and General Counsel of General Motors: General Motors has
filed a complaint this morning in the United States District Court in Detroit
seeking to compel immediate arbitration of its grievance that the current
strikes in Flint, Michigan violate the no-strike clause of the 1996 GM-UAW
National Agreement. The complaint also seeks injunctive relief and damages
against the UAW. The suit names the International Union, Local Union Nos. 651
and 659, and certain other agents as defendants.
The suit is based on the 1996 collective bargaining agreement which allows local
unions to strike only over very specific and defined categories of disputes and
requires the International Union and all its local unions to resolve all other
disputes through the grievance and arbitration procedures contained in the
National Agreement without resorting to strikes. Union representatives have made
clear to GM and the media that the real issues behind the Flint walkouts relate
to capital investment and product allocation decisions affecting the Flint Metal
Center and to sourcing decisions affecting the Delphi Flint East plant. None of
these issues are strikeable under the National Agreement. Further, the National
Agreement requires that these disputes be submitted to binding arbitration. GM
has filed a grievance under the Agreement asking that the Umpire find that the
Union is in breach of its commitments in the National Agreement.
The hardship caused by the Union's breach of its no-strike agreement is
expanding daily with too little progress being made at the bargaining table. GM
has pressed for an expedited hearing on its grievance. The Union has not agreed
to expeditiously resolve this matter through the Umpire, who is a neutral
arbitrator, whether the current strikes are permitted under the contract.
Consequently, GM has filed this contract action. The first step will be to seek
expedited submission of the issue of the Union's breach of its no-strike
agreement to the GM-UAW Umpire for prompt resolution. At subsequent phases of
the proceedings, GM reserves the right to apply for appropriate injunctive
relief to return its workers to their jobs and to establish the damages
resulting from the Union's breach of its commitment.
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SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
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(Registrant)
Date July 14, 1998
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By
s/Peter R. Bible
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(Peter R. Bible,
Chief Accounting Officer)
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