Shelbyville firm pinched by American Axle strike

About 26 of the 700 workers at Ryobi Die Casting USA Inc. in Shelbyville have taken voluntary layoffs due to the ripple effect of the two-week American Axle and Manufacturing strike.

The plant machines parts for General Motors Corp. GM has slowed production and shut down plants as inventories of parts supplied by Detroit-based American Axle withered.

Five GM plants in Indiana have halted production since the strike began: an assembly plant in Fort Wayne, stamping plants in Indianapolis and Marion, a casting plant in Bedford and an AM General plant in Mishawaka that makes the Hummer H2.