SAGINAW: Union members at a major Michigan auto supplier approved a five-year contract, officials said on Saturday, just a few weeks after rejecting the first deal and staging a brief strike. Nexteer Automotive makes steering systems for General Motors, Ford Motor and other auto companies. Roughly 3,000 employees are represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the Saginaw area, 160 kilometres north of Detroit. The UAW said the deal with Nexteer was approved by 61 per cent of workers who cast ballots. There was a brief strike earlier in December after the first deal was rejected. The contract includes pay increases and a $2,000 ratification bonus. Nexteer is Saginaw County’s largest employer with nearly 5,000 employees, The Saginaw News reported. It has 12,000 employees worldwide and is owned by China-based Pacific Century Motors.