Will the United Auto Workers have one of its strongest bargaining tools when contract negotiations with U.S. automakers start up next week? Jesse Russell reports:

On Monday the United Auto Workers union will sit down with the big three U.S. automakers to reopen contract negotiations in order to help keep the companies afloat as auto purchases continue to plummet. The UAW may have to enter the negotiations without one of the strongest weapons in its war chest, the right to call a strike. According to the loan agreement between the Treasury Department and General Motors the union can’t even make a threat of striking the automaker up until the February 17 deadline for reaching a contract agreement. GM is seeking a $13.4 billion loan from the government and worker contracts need to be reopened in order to reduce labor costs as part of the loan agreement.