By MARGARET STAFFORD – 1 hour ago
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Members of a United Auto Workers union local went on strike Monday at General Motors' Fairfax facility — hitting a plant that churns out GM's popular Malibu sedan.
Employees at the plant, which has more than 2,500 UAW members, began streaming out around 9 a.m. and union members picketed in the median of the road.
The Chevrolet Malibu, a medium-sized sedan that was named "Car of the Year" at this year's North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The strike hits a key GM product at a time when the company can ill afford it. Last week GM announced that it lost $3.3 billion in the first quarter, due largely to one-time charges and North American losses that offset gains in the rest of the world.
With truck and sport utility vehicle sales dropping, the redesigned 2008 Malibu at Fairfax has been a bright spot for GM.
From January through April, GM had sold 58,126 Malibus, up 32 percent from the same period last year. Sales were up 55 percent in April. A strike will crimp production and could hurt GM's profits, although the company makes the Malibu at another factory in Orion Township, Mich. Workers at that plant have approved a local contract.
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Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h2vj4D4fcHM8oov-CmEpRzBKzyxAD90FIPUO0 
