Both Ronald Bigalow and his son work at GM's Linden, New Jersey, plant

CLIFFORD, Michigan (CNN) -- Jim and Paula Johnston and their six children have been restoring an old farmhouse for a year -- transforming it into their dream house.

They are worried that the United Auto Workers strike against General Motors could take that dream house away.

Jim Johnston has worked for more than 20 years at GM's stamping plant in Flint, Michigan -- one of two plants where workers went on strike earlier this month. The number of workers laid off because of parts shortages caused by the walkouts topped 136,000 Tuesday at 24 GM plants across North America.

Johnston has spent all the money he has -- and a lot he does not have -- on the farmhouse. But he is committed to the strike.

"I'm willing to lose everything I've ever worked for to solve this, including this house," he said.

CNN's Jeff Flock talks to a Flint, Michigan, family trying to make ends meet during the strike
	VXtreme streaming video (2:32)
CNN's Aram Roston describes how a Linden, New Jersey, family is coping with the walkout
	VXtreme streaming video (1:42)

But Paula Johnston is worried about the family's bottom line.

Normally, the couple's combined income of $4,600 is more than enough to cover the $2,500 in monthly expenses for their mortgage and home improvement loans, car payments, insurance, groceries and utilities.

Now, with Jim's strike pay of $150 a week and the income from Paula's part-time job, they are coming up more than $1,000 short.

There are thousands of GM families like the Johnstons.

Johnston's children join the UAW picket line

Another family makes sacrifices

Fernando Felix's family is one of them. He is one of 2,300 workers laid off at the Linden, New Jersey, GM plant, which can't get the parts it needs to operate until the Michigan strike is settled.

In Felix's life, there are two very important dates. One of them was July 27, 1973 -- the day he moved to the United States from the Dominican Republic.

The second? "The date I started working for General Motors: January 24, 1977," Felix said.

Being a union employee means Felix and his wife can afford a four-bedroom house on a quiet street in Ridgefield, New Jersey.

And he is loyal to the union -- even though the strike means Felix must cancel his first vacation in five years and forget about making the repairs he planned on his house.

"I'm worried, but I've got to support my co-workers in Michigan," he said.

The workers in Linden say they are confident the plant will reopen soon, but they worry about what will happen beyond that. Even before the strike, they were warned the plant may close for good in 2001.

Ronald Bigalow, who has weathered other strikes in his 34 years at the Linden plant, has some advice for his 28-year-old son, who also works there.

"I tell him that, in reality, his future is not there the way mine was," Bigalow said.

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