Here's how much the autoworkers strike hurt GM

People kept buying Chevys, Buicks, GMC trucks and Cadillacs during the autoworkers' 40-day strike last quarter. But GM didn't walk away unscathed: it sold 25% fewer vehicles to dealerships in the last three months of the year.

Posted 4:00 p.m. Jan 3, 2020 — Updated 4:00 p.m. Jan 3, 2020

Chris Isidore

, CNN Business

CNN — People kept buying Chevys, Buicks, GMC trucks and Cadillacs during the autoworkers' 40-day strike last quarter. But GM didn't walk away unscathed: it sold 25% fewer vehicles to dealerships in the last three months of the year.

GM announced Friday that its deliveries to dealerships fell predominately because of the strike by members of the United Auto Workers union. That strike halted production at GM's US factories from September 16 to October 25.

But sales by those dealerships to customer fell by only 6.3% in the quarter. That's because GM stockpiled inventory at dealerships ahead of the work stoppage.

The company had said it had increased the inventories at dealerships ahead of the strike. Still the company has warned investors that the strike will end up reducing its profits by about $2.9 billion when all the accounting is done.

Suggest A Correction