Progress made in American Axle-UAW talks

A spokeswoman for American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. (www.aam.com) said that negotiations with the United Auto Workers have yielded good progress, but "discussions about a tentative agreement are premature at this time."

Approximately 3,650 workers represented by the UAW at five American Axle plants in Michigan and New York have been on strike since Feb. 26. The strike has caused General Motors Corp., American Axle's largest customer, to idle all or parts of about 30 plants.

American Axle and the UAW started negotiations in earnest again last week after the president of the UAW and the company's chairman and chief executive met face-to-face. Company spokeswoman Renee Rogers said talks are continuing.