Workers at Lear plant in Indiana go on strike, could affect Ford: Chicago Tribune

(Reuters) - Workers at a Lear Corp plant in Indiana that makes parts for Ford Motor Co went on strike Saturday, according to the Chicago Tribune. The plant in Hammond, Indiana, employs 760 and supplies automotive seats for Ford's Explorer and Taurus cars, said the newspaper, citing a representative with the United Auto Workers. The strike may affect several thousand workers who depend on the Indiana factory, according to the Tribune. The Lear workers, who make $11 to $14 per hour, are demanding higher wages, said the report, citing the union. Representatives at Lear, Ford and the union were not immediately available for comment. The union has been negotiating with Lear since early August, when their contract expired. Lear is offering the workers a 6 percent to 8 percent salary increase, said the Tribune, citing Mel Stephens, a senior vice president at Lear. Lear is ready to resume negotiations, he said. (Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Writing by Lisa Shumaker; Editing by Bernard Orr)