* Early votes show clear majority for ratified agreement

* Approval rate running at 62 to 88 percent

* Vote should be finalized Friday around 4 pm EDT (Adds result from UAW Local 22 in Detroit)

By Nick Carey

DETROIT, May 28 (Reuters) - A majority of rank-and-file members of the United Auto Workers approved a ratified agreement with General Motors Corp GM.N on Thursday that will give the union a stake in the U.S. automaker in return for concessions, according to initial tallies.

"This is tough for our members, but our hands are tied," said Dwight Chatham, president of UAW Local 211 in Defiance, Ohio, whose members voted 77 percent in favor of the amended agreement. "We want to help GM survive. Now this is back in the hands of GM and the government."

UAW Local 211 represents nearly 1,300 workers.

The ratified agreement, announced earlier this week, is part of GM's plans to restructure its business and smooth its passage through Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company is expected to file for bankruptcy in the next few days. [ID:nN21434512]

Under the terms of the amended agreement, the UAW would receive half the $20 billion GM owes a union-aligned healthcare trust in the form of stock and new debt instead of cash.