Thousands of United Auto Workers (UAW) have launched a national strike against General Motors (NYSE: GM), the nation’s largest automaker. According to the United Auto Workers 73,000 of their members work for GM at 80 facilities across the U.S. The strike was called by the UAW because GM has not been willing to “address the reasonable needs and concerns of our [UAW] members”—the most important issues being job security and benefits.

We can be sure that this strike will affect the entire nation—GM has approximately 80 plants across the U.S. According to CNBC, the longer the strike continues, the more likely it is to adversely affect suppliers. In Janesville, Wisconsin, local businesses are expected to suffer because of the affect that striking UAW workers will have on related businesses. Reports are also surfacing that Canadian GM plants are affected.

… Canada's No. 1 car plant in Oshawa, east of Toronto, will stop producing Chevrolet Impala sedans at 3 a.m. EDT Tuesday, and the No. 2 plant, assembling the Pontiac Grand Prix and Buick Allure, will shut down at the end of Tuesday's day shift…

The transmission plant in Windsor has already closed and a component plant in St. Catharines will also soon be closed because of lack of U.S. demand for its output.

In times like these, both sides need to examine what they are willing to concede. Although job security is a noble idea, GM representatives say it is unreasonable for the union to expect such a promise. On the other hand, the UAW says that GM needs to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of union workers instead of lining the pockets of company executives, and then demanding that union workers accept a reduced standard of living.

I can certainly see both sides of the issue. But, leaders from both sides need to approach the negotiating table with positive attitudes and use tone to transform disagreements into growth. Additionally, both sides of the table need to utilize a positive approach—that is, from the standpoint of what has already been won instead of from the standpoint what has to be given up. If the positive approach is utilized, I bet both sides will come away from the bargaining table with positive results. It’s worth a try.