The twenty-eight-hundred striking workers at the GM plant in Janesville are hoping for the best and planning for the worst.
Anita Ahrens is a seven year veteran of GM. Her husband, Ron, has been on the GM-Janesville line for twenty-one years and has been through one strike already.
He says if this one goes on for a while it could put some families in dire financial straits.
The Ahrens says they were able to put a small strike fund aside and now it's a matter of spending priorities. Things like the house and car.
There is a union strike fund available but it doesn't kick in until after the first week of a strike and then it's about two hundred dollars a week. Much less than many of the striking workers make now.
Ahrens says union negotiators are keeping information close to the vest but he knows job security is a major issue. He's seen the UAW workforce dwindle over the years. And he says there's the old battle of keeping jobs in this country.
Health care for retirees and pensions are also on the table. Contract talks continue today.