Chrysler town and country

A strike called by the Canadian Auto Workers has forced TRW Automotive Holdings Corp. to shut down its plant in Windsor. The plant employs about 175 union workers who make suspension modules for Chrysler minivans. The plant exclusively supplies a nearby Chrysler plant. The strike at the TRW plant caused Chrysler L.L.C. to shut down its plant in Windsor at 6 p.m. Thursday, according to Michelle Tinson, manager of manufacturing and labor communications for Chrysler.

John Wilkerson, TRW’s senior communications manager, said the union and TRW were in negotiations until a contract expired at 3 p.m. yesterday. The union went on strike Thursday at about 4:30 p.m. “Certainly, we would like to get back (into negotiations) and start talking again and hopefully work toward getting an agreement here,” Wilkerson said. The main issues are wages, pensions, benefits and paid holidays at the plant, according to a story on the CAW’s Web site.

Workers earn $11.25 Canadian an hour on average at the plant. Wilkerson declined to comment on the CAW report.