at its peak forty years ago gm employed 618365 americans including 511000 hourly workers general motors co now employs fewer unionrepresented american workers than its domestic rivals for the first time since the united auto workers started organizing detroits carmakers eight decades agogms 46000 uaw workers trails ford motor co by about 9000 and fiat chrysler automobiles nv by roughly 1200 according to headcounts provided by the companies ford surpassed gm in 2014 and fiat chrysler overtook the no 2 spot this yeargms fall to third place is a dubious distinction for a company thats been criticized by america first president donald trump the company is also negotiating a new labor contract this year with uaw leaders who have vowed a takenoprisoners approach to bargaining after an embarrassing corruption scandal advt turning pointgm was once the largest privatesector employer in the us with former company president charles wilson famously saying in the 1950s that what was good for our country was good for general motors and vice versa but in recent decades the automaker has downsized its domestic factory network and increased production in markets including china and mexicogm was historically the largest by far said ron harbour senior vice president overseeing global automotive manufacturing for consultant oliver wyman but they cut a lot of plants in the us during bankruptcy they have a quarter of the plants they had in the 1970s read alsogeneral motors is planning an electric hummergeneral motors partners with ev connect for ev charging blazer blamethe issue of employment has dogged gm this year the company has closed its car plant in lordstown ohio and stopped transmission output at a factory in warren michigan and two other us plants are at risk of being shut down the restructuring drew the ire of trump and democratic primary frontrunner joe biden and is a focal point for the uaw in talks for a new fouryear labor dealgm has also taken heat from the union for the companys decision to build highmargin sport utility vehicles including the chevrolet blazer in mexico the start of production of that vehicle last year helped gm overtake japans nissan motor co as mexicos top carmaker according to automotive news advt the union is expected to press for additional investment in us plants and job security guarantees for american workers during an event at gms plant in orion michigan in march terry dittes the vice president overseeing the unions gm department vowed to fight to keep jobs for workers in lordstown and other factories marked for possible closurethe next american car recession has already startedgm also has offered all of the 2800 union workers at the plants at risk of closing a job in another us factory the company is aiming for a deal with the uaw that wont destabilize its operations as global sales slowgms focus during negotiations is to reach an agreement that builds a strong future for our employees and our business spokesman david barnas said in an emaildomestic downsizingat