(DETROIT, MICHIGAN) - The United Auto Workers (UAW) Union is formally challenging General Motors Company's plans to idle four U.S. plants next year.

A week ago, GM said it would stagger production-stops at Detroit-Hamtramck, Lordstown, Ohio, Warren Transmission and Baltimore Operations - leaving the facilities "unallocated" at the height of the latest renegotiation of the National GM-UAW Contract.

In its restructuring announcement last week, GM was careful to address the affected plants, using the term "unallocated" to indicate that the products currently built at these plants would stop production without anything to immediately replace them.

The use of the word "unallocated" deliberately avoids the words "idle or "close," which are explicitly addressed in the 2015 agreement between GM and the UAW.

"Characterizing these plants as 'unallocated' - rather than closed or idled - does nothing to relieve the company of its obligation to comply with the Plant Closing Moratorium," the head of the UAW's GM department, Terry Dittes, wrote in a letter sent to GM's Vice President of Labor Relations, Scott Sandefur, that was obtained by The Detroit News. "We expect the company to honor its commitments and we will use all of our resources to enforce our agreements."

The UAW has said since last week it would challenge GM's plans for the Union-represented plants.  The Union has filed its formal objections to the automaker's proposed actions, even though they would be subject to negotiations in next year's contract talks.

“We have been clear that the UAW will leave no stone unturned and use any and all resources available to us regarding the future of these plants," UAW President Gary Jones said in a statement. "There are issues related to this and to collective bargaining that we cannot discuss in detail at this point.  But UAW members across this country are committed to using every means available to us on behalf of our brothers and sisters at Lordstown, Hamtramck, Baltimore and Warren, Michigan."

Ohio's two U.S. senators — Republican Rob Portman and Democrat Sherrod Brown — are expected to meet today (Wednesday, December 5th) in Washington with GM CEO Mary Barra to discuss the future of the automaker's plant in Lordstown, Ohio.

Barra also is expected to meet with some of the Michigan delegation noon Thursday to discuss the two Michigan plants that are scheduled to lose product next year. 

Incoming freshman House members from Michigan are in Boston this week for training and can't attend the Barra meeting in person.  Staffers may sit in on their behalf, aides said. 

GM was widely criticized in Washington last week following its restructuring announcement, including a vow from U.S. Representative Debbie Dingell (Democrat-Dearborn), a former GM Executive, to rescind her support for the automaker if they continue to import from Mexico.

The Union had already accused GM of a longer-term plan to move more production to Mexico, where Labor costs are lower.

The UAW says GM was hiding behind slowing sedan sales in its restructuring announcement.

To Read This Labor News Report In Its Entirety, Go To: www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/general-motors/2018/12/03/uaw-objection-letter-general-motors-idle-plants/2194925002/