The United Auto Workers union had given local unions until Monday to complete voting. But a person briefed on the voting said Saturday that the contract changes have been rejected by large margins.

The United Auto Workers has finalized a tentative agreement with Ford Motor on contract changes the automaker has sought to bring its labor costs in line with those of U.S. rivals, the union said Tuesday.

A recent spate of suicides at France Télécom has revealed a paradox at the heart of French society: Even with robust labor protection, workers here see themselves as profoundly insecure, with many complaining about being pushed beyond their limits by the pace of economic change.

President Barack Obama, claiming credit for an uptick on his watch, told autoworkers Tuesday that the economy is on its way back from the brink because of his policies.

Years of state and federal neglect have hobbled the nation’s unemployment system just as a brutal recession has doubled the number of jobless Americans seeking aid, the New York Times reported.

A half-dozen senators friendly to labor have decided to drop a central provision of a bill that would have made it easier to organize workers.

NFL players are blitzing Capitol Hill, meeting with about a dozen members of Congress, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, to build political support in a possible labor showdown with team owners.

General Motors is using its huge pension fund in a way it never intended. It had planned — and put money aside — for a steady march of retirees over time. But instead, tens of thousands of blue-collar workers, most in their 40s and 50s, are all becoming eligible for retirement benefits now, as the company rapidly downsizes.

A British union says thousands of postal workers will strike next week in a dispute over jobs and services.

Underground transportation strikes that are taking place in the UK Wednesday and Thursday could cost the nation £110 million ($180 million).

For decades, the United Automobile Workers had a simple strategy for getting what it wanted from the carmakers — it would go on strike. The tactic proved so successful that the mere threat of a walkout often won better wages, benefits and job security.

Stocks finished near session lows Wednesday as rising bond yields on government debt raised concern that borrowing costs are going to start going up and tamp down the economic recovery.

Stocks got a quick pop Wednesday after a report showed existing-home sales rose in April  but quickly retreated as the previous day's optimism faded and GM stirred anxiety in the market. But tech stocks gained, sending the Nasdaq into positive territory.

Stocks got a quick pop Wednesday after a report showed existing-home sales rose in April  but quickly retreated as the previous day's optimism faded and GM stirred anxiety in the market. But tech stocks gained, sending the Nasdaq into positive territory.

Futures pared earlier gains Wednesday to indicate a mixed open for Wall Street as optimism from the previous day's consumer confidence data dwindled and was replaced by anxiety about what looks like certain bankruptcy for General Motors.