Top union officials set to meet in Detroit, a sign of progress in GM strike

The UAW has called its national council, a group made up of top officials from around the country who represent GM strikers, to a meeting in Detroit on Thursday. That council's approval would be needed before any tentative agreement would go to nearly 50,000 strikers for rank-and-file ratification.

Spokespeople from both the union and the company caution against assuming the meeting is a sign that a deal has been reached. Both say only that the negotiations are continuing. Negotiators are due back at the table Tuesday morning.

But this is the first time since the strike started that the council has been called to a meeting in Detroit. And after 29 days in which the two sides have met every day, and both have been critical of the other's bargaining positions, the scheduling of the meeting is certainly not a bad sign.

According to a person familiar with the state of negotiations, a lot of progress was made over the weekend. Talks went late into the night Sunday. But the person cautioned some things still need to be buttoned up.

"Clearly, things have progressed to the point that the union felt compelled to call this meeting," said the person.

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