“A plant can’t be permanently shuttered without the buy-in from the U.A.W.,” Ms. Dziczek said. “So this is a really significant round of talks coming up.”The Detroit automakers have idled plants ahead of past contract negotiations, only to reopen them after bargaining with the union. In 2019, G.M. was winding down production at its Hamtramck plant in Detroit as contract talks began, and ended up agreeing to produce the first of its new generation of electric vehicles there.In those same talks, however, G.M. closed its plant in Lordstown, Ohio, and resisted the union’s efforts to reopen it. While the Lordstown plant was sold, G.M. b …
