General Motors Strike Ripples Across Michigan

General Motors and the UAW strike today places another whammy to our local economy here in Holland, Michigan. Many of the auto parts suppliers are a big part of our local economy.

We already have been hit hard here by the NAFTA agreement and relocation of so many of our jobs in the past few years. The current GM strike can only hurt us deeper. Even though Michigan has been trying to move away from its independence on the strength of the big auto companies, our economy is still automotive based.

Not only will the impact be felt on the parts suppliers and their workers, but other local businesses will also be affected. The ripple effect is endless. Just one more blow to Michigan and its high unemployment rate.

If the strike continues very long, this could be disastrous not only here in Holland, Michigan, but nation wide and in Canada.

As of the latest reports there still seems to be a wide gap in the negotiations between General Motors and the United Auto Workers. We are only hoping that these gaps are narrowed very quickly.

All eyes here are peeled on GM and the UAW to see what is going to be our next big blow in our economy. We are all very nervous here.