Jul. 12--ARLINGTON -- Union employees at the Lear Corp. plant say they were told to go home Friday and wait for a call to come back to work. Temporary workers are being hired to do their jobs while union officials negotiate a new contract with management, the employees say.

Calls made to Lear Corp. officials Saturday were not returned, and workers at the plant would not comment.

"In our contract, we have a no-lockout, no-work-stoppage clause," said Richard Hale, a member of the bargaining committee with United Auto Workers Local 129, which represents Lear employees. "We are just wanting to work through this process and waiting for a fair and equitable contract."

The plant, which is on Bardin Road and employs about 500 people, assembles seats for sport utility vehicles made at GM's nearby Arlington plant. Wages and benefits at the plant total about $38.1 million a year, according to GM.

Michigan-based Lear filed for bankruptcy protection Tuesday, the latest in a string of failures of auto parts makers reeling from curtailed production and automakers' woes. At the time, the company said that it had sought approval from a bankruptcy court to continue providing pay and benefits to its employees without interruption. It employs about 72,000 workers worldwide.

Lear Corp. built its Arlington plant in 1997. City officials could not be reached for comment Saturday.

MITCH MITCHELL, 817-390-7752

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