AUTO STRIKE FORCES SUPERIOR TO SHUT PLANTS.

Byline: Deborah Adamson Daily News Staff Writer

Superior Industries will extend closures of two production plants for another week as a result of the ongoing General Motors strike, company officials said Monday.

The Detroit-based automobile manufacturer accounts for 47 percent of sales at Van Nuys-based Superior, which manufacturers cast aluminum wheels for the auto industry.

The two plants, in Kansas and Tennessee, recently closed for a scheduled two-week retooling. But as the General Motors strike continues unresolved, Superior will extend the scheduled closings for a third week, a company executive said.

Company officials have not decided whether the Van Nuys plant, which is also on its scheduled shutdown, will be closed for an extra week.

One thousand workers at the two idled plants will be affected. Another 1,000 people are employed at its Van Nuys plant. Superior has 4,500 employees.

Jeff Ornstein, chief financial officer for Superior, said the company will take an undetermined charge against earnings for the quarter. The company also will miss analysts' earnings estimates when its quarterly report is released in early July.

A strike at two Flint, Mich., parts plants more than two weeks ago has crippled GM's North American operations, halting more than 90 percent of the automaker's production.

Union leaders launched the strike after accusing GM of reneging on a promised $300 million investment at the Flint facilities that would create jobs and for violating United Auto Workers contracts. GM officials have said the Flint plants are inefficient.