( Reuters ) - Contract talks between General Motors Corp and the United Auto Workers union resumed on Sunday, a day before tens of thousands of GM factory workers were due to return to work at the No. 1 U.S. automaker in the absence of a new contract.
A union local representing workers at GM's Saturn plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, said it had been informed by UAW negotiators that the union hoped to have an "acceptable resolution" to the talks by Sunday evening.
UAW Local 1853 said in a recorded message for workers that it had been informed by UAW Vice President Cal Rapson's office Sunday afternoon that "talks are continuing and they hope to achieve an acceptable resolution for our UAW membership some time this evening."
Representatives for both sides broke off talks around 9 p.m. EDT Saturday and were back at the table around 11 a.m. EDT Sunday, two days after the expiration of the UAW's existing contract for some 73,000 GM workers.
The resumption of the closely watched talks came after a conference call between GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner and his counterparts at Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, both of which have signed contract extensions with the UAW.
Wagoner, Ford CEO Alan Mulally, Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli and Chrysler President Tom Lasorda joined the conference call on Saturday, a person familiar with call told Reuters.
The outcome of the contract talks is seen as crucial to the bid by the Detroit-based automaker to recover from combined losses of $15 billion last year and sales difficulties that have driven their slice of the U.S. market below 50 percent.
GM, Ford and Chrysler are seeking sweeping concessions from the UAW to close a cost gap with Toyota Motor Corp. they say amounts to more than $30 per hour for the average worker.