With voting still underway on the proposed agreement forged between the United Auto Workers and General Motors, approximately 10,000 of the union's 73,000 members have ratified the arrangement.

A majority of the union's membership must approve the contract for the deal to be implemented. Union officials hope that decision will be reached by October 10.

Talks between the UAW and both Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. are still in progress with the GM contract expected to serve as the template for agreements reached with those automakers.

The tentative contract was forged last week after the union ended a two-day, nationwide strike against GM.

The agreement includes provisions for a second-tier wage for workers who are not a part of direct production and sets up a retiree health-care trust administered by the union.

More than 3,000 workers currently classes as "temporary" would receive "permanent" status and buyouts would be permitted.

Reaction to the terms of the proposed contract have been mixed with some workers attracted to the idea of a buyout and retirement. Others see the included provision for new hires as restricting the job pool.

Many current retirees have expressed the conviction that their own union will do a better job of managing their health benefits while some are reluctant to leave the existing arrangement.

In spite of these concerns, however, most pundits agree that the membership will ratify the agreement.