Monday, March 31, 2008
Chrysler cuts white-collar retiree life insurance
Eric Morath / The Detroit News
Chrysler LLC’s white collar retirees are losing free life insurance benefits but are eligible for an up to a $4,000 one-time pension boost, according to a letter retirees should receive this week.
Previously retirees were covered by a $50,000 life insurance policy at [...]
Monday, March 31, 2008
GM opens new truck plant in Qindao, China
Associated Press
DETROIT — General Motors Corp. has begun production at a new manufacturing plant in Qindao, China.
The plant is GM’s second manufacturing facility in the coastal city. Production began today.
The plant will make small work trucks for GM’s joint venture with Chinese automakers Wuling and [...]
UAW STRIKE AT AMERICAN AXLE
Axle strike threatens GM’s hot-selling Malibu
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David Barkholz
and Robert Sherefkin
Automotive News | March 31, 2008 – 5:24 pm EST
DETROIT — General Motors will have to shut production by mid-April of its hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu if supplier American Axle & Manufacturing Holdings Inc. can’t end a strike by the UAW, a [...]
Saturday, March 29, 2008
UAW lost 73,500 members in 2007
Ranks hit lowest level since 1941
David Shepardson / The Detroit News
WASHINGTON — Membership in the United Auto Workers dropped sharply last year to a new post-World War II low, reflecting a dramatic retrenchment of the U.S. auto industry and widespread buyouts at Detroit’s Big Three automakers and [...]
UAW membership falls 13.6% in 2007
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Philip Nussel
Automotive News | March 28, 2008 – 4:24 pm EST
DETROIT — The UAW’s membership, beset by a wave of automaker buyouts, last year fell by more than 73,000 workers to a new post-World War II low.
In its annual report to the U.S. Department of Labor, the UAW said [...]
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Buy American, get Chinese engine
In global supply era, old way of thinking on parts has become quaint.
Ian Austen / New York Times
OSHAWA, Ontario — General Motors car engines were once the stuff of American legend. The Beach Boys sang, "nothing can touch my 409," about a powerful Chevy V-8. Oldsmobile owners in [...]
Marketing giant Hal Riney dead at 75
‘Paul Bunyan’ of advertising created legendary Saturn campaign
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Alice Z. Cuneo
Automotive News | March 26, 2008 – 11:39 am EST
SAN FRANCISCO — Hal Riney, the legendary adman whose work influenced presidential campaigns and whose vision helped shape auto marketing and many other aspects of the business, died Monday of [...]
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
No end in sight to strike against Axle
Eric Morath / The Detroit News
DETROIT — The longest automotive strike in a decade turns 1 month old today, leaving American Axle losing millions, striking workers scrimping on $200 weekly strike pay — and no end in sight.
But while both American Axle and the United [...]
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Dispute cited in top Chrysler engineer’s departure
Man leading midsize effort reportedly clashed with senior managers.
Dee-Ann Durbin / Associated Press
DETROIT — One of Chrysler LLC’s top engineers left the company Tuesday because of a dispute with senior managers, a person with knowledge of the situation said Tuesday.
Mike Donoughe was leading the company’s effort [...]
CAW says it won’t accept two-tier wages
Automotive News | March 25, 2008 – 5:30 pm EST
TORONTO (Reuters) — The Canadian Auto Workers will not accept a U.S.-style two-tier wage deal when it meets with the "Big Three" automakers this summer for contract negotiations, union President Buzz Hargrove said on Tuesday.
"We are not accepting second-class workers [...]
Key Chrysler product developer Donoughe quits
Company denies there was clash with senior management
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Bradford Wernle
Automotive News | March 25, 2008 – 7:34 pm EST
DETROIT — Barely two months after being named to a key Chrysler product development post, one of Chrysler’s top vehicle engineers has left the company.
On Tuesday, Mike Donoughe resigned his position heading [...]
CAW seeks to organize three Dana plants
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Ryan Beene
Automotive News | March 24, 2008 – 4:38 pm EST
Meetings are expected to be held on Thursday and Friday to decide if about 550 hourly workers at three Dana Canada Corp. plants will join the Canadian Auto Workers Union.
Tentative agreements for workers at Dana Canada plants in [...]
Authorities back XM-Sirius satellite radio tie
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Automotive News | March 24, 2008 – 3:24 pm EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) — U.S. antitrust authorities today approved a proposed $4.38 billion purchase of XM Satellite Radio by Sirius Satellite Radio , the Justice Department said on Monday.
The deal is also being examined by the Federal Communications Commission, which is expected [...]
Monday, March 24, 2008
Bringing up the rear: Ford to revive rear-wheel drive in U.S.
Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News
Ford Motor Co. is bringing rear-wheel-drive development back to the United States from Australia. The automaker also has green-lighted a vehicle platform that will provide the basis for a new generation of rear-wheel-drive cars, according to [...]
Monday, March 24, 2008
Mileage at top of car buying list
Survey shows consumers also want tougher regulations on fuel economy.
Scott Burgess / The Detroit News
With the price of a fill-up hovering at record highs, gas mileage has become the number one consideration for American consumers in choosing a new vehicle, even topping which automaker produces the [...]
