The United Auto Workers has negotiated for 1,412 General Motors Co. production workers to receive the buyout offer they wanted, union vice president Mike Booth said in a Thursday statement.

That figure is above the 748 employees originally eligible under the UAW-GM contract, which states that GM will offer three of the programs starting in January 2024 through the life of the agreement, which expires in April 2028. The program provides a $50,000 lump-sum pre-tax retirement incentive. The agreement, reached last fall, states the UAW and GM will "agree on timing, size, and scope of the offering."

"We announced this first phase, many members spoke up and said that we needed to expand the eligibility in this first phase," Booth wrote. "Today I am excited to announce that we have won SAPs for ALL 1,412 GM production workers who signed up for the SAP. Those workers will immediately be eligible to receive the $50,000 retirement bonus, with retirement dates effective June 1st, July 1st or August 1st. That’s a big win, and a big expansion from what GM was first willing to offer."

Booth added the union still has not negotiated "immediate eligibility" for all 545 skilled trades workers wanting to take the offer. Only 142 were immediately eligible in this first phase, Booth said.

"We’re still fighting to win an expansion on that number. At GM, we have a shortage of skilled trades workers, a problem which will require creative solutions on the company’s part, and an expansion of their apprenticeship programs," he said. "We’re going to continue to fight for our skilled trades members who want to retire. And to be clear, every single member who is eligible to retire will have the opportunity to receive the $50,000 SAP during the life of this contract, skilled trades and production."

"We thank all participating employees for their years of service and contributions to GM," company spokesperson Kevin Kelly said in a statement. "We have committed that all interested eligible employees will have the opportunity to receive an SAP during the life of this agreement."

GM agreed to open up the Special Attrition Program again in the fourth quarter, according to the union.

The UAW also negotiated buyout programs for union members at Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis NV. Both of those allow "for an unlimited number of eligible production and skilled trade members." The eligible Ford and Stellantis employees also receive $50,000.

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