Not that either side lacks for incentive to soften its stance. GM is fast running out of parts to supply its assembly lines nationwide, and conservative estimates put the company's losses at $50 million a day. The workers stand to take a big financial hit themselves; if they do not return to work by June 26, they lose a week's worth of union-won "holiday pay" for the first half of GM's annual two-week plant shutdown, which begins June 29.
Yet none of those pressures seem to be getting the talks on track. "It's not even one or two sticking points, says Szczesny. "It's everything. They both consider themselves already pushed to the limit. And that doesn't leave much room for compromise."