<table> </table> Negotiations will continue today as a strike at <strong>General Motors Corp.</strong>&#8217;s Fairfax plant enters its third day.</p><p><strong>United Auto Workers</strong> officers plan to meet with company officials to reach a local contract settlement, said John Melton, bargaining chairman of <strong>UAW Local 31</strong>.</p><p>About 2,700 hourly employees at the Fairfax plant took the job action Monday after months of meetings failed to bring a local bargaining agreement to supplement a national contract approved last September. Union officials have said GM management is seeking changes in longstanding work rules within the plant regarding seniority, job security and job preferences.</p><p>The two sides broke off talks when the strike started Monday, but bargaining resumed Tuesday morning.</p><p>The action puts special pressure on GM because the Fairfax plant builds the popular Chevrolet Malibu, which has sold well since the redesigned model was launched last fall. The Malibu is one GM&#8217;s centerpiece vehicles in seeking to regain standing in passenger-car market, long dominated by the Japanese.</p><p>Given the strong demand for the Malibu, GM has added about 300 production jobs at the Fairfax plant this year to accommodate and increase the speed of the assembly line. The plant produces the majority of Malibus, but a plant in Orion Township, Mich., also began building the models in response to the strong sales.