FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) General Motors has responded to the threat of a strike by UAW Local 2209 over staffing issues at the Fort Wayne Assembly where full-size pickups are manufactured. Earlier this week, Local 2209 Shop Chair Rich LeTourneau said he has given GM until the end of the week to remove senior staff from filling holes in second and third shifts vacated by temporary workers who were released by GM. LeTourneau said he has asked the national UAW for authorization to strike, claiming GM doesn’t have the authority to assign senior staff to second or third shift. UAW threatens strike at Fort Wayne Assembly over use of senior staff to fill shifts When contacted about the strike threat, GM issued the following statement Friday morning: GM has and will continue to comply with the provisions of the UAW-GM National and Local Agreements. A strike is neither warranted nor legal in these circumstances. General Motors Some 4,300 workers are employed at the GM plant in southwest Allen County.