UAW says it has ratified General Motors contract, ending strike

General Motors hourly workers ratified a new contract with the auto giant on Friday, ending the longest automotive strike in nearly 50 years.The package includes an $11,000 ratification bonus, wage increases and no increases in health care costs, said statements from GM and the United Auto Workers, touting the agreement as a compromise that worked for both sides after difficult negotiations.Nearly 50,000 hourly workers had been on strike since September 16, effectively shutting down GM's US manu