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Skilled Trades Association July - August 2005 Archive
August 2005
August 31, 2005 - China is ready for a revolution amid the shining mega-cities and sudden wealth, millions of impoverished Chinese are rising up in anger. In "Trades News Articles"
Twenty years ago, the CAW split from the U.S.-based UAW over disagreements about Canadian autonomy and concessions to employers. But now the union faces "its biggest challenge". In "Trades News Articles"
August 30, 2005 - The UAW has told both GM and automotive parts supplier Delphi Corp. that "the union cannot and will not meet their demands" for cuts in wages, health care and other benefits, a UAW local in Warren reported in a newsletter to members. Read the full story here or in the "Trades News Articles"
New power train technology could bring diesel engines to the mainstream U.S. passenger car market, a GM representative said Monday, potentially giving motorists a high-mileage alternative to hybrid gas-electric vehicles. In "Trades News Articles"
August 29, 2005 - GM lost an average of $1,227 per vehicle in the first half of this year in North America, while cross-town rival Ford lost $139, according to new research from Harbour Consulting. In "Trades News Articles"
China is losing it's cheap labour allure. More U.S. companies find savings are drained by errors, shipping costs and engineering changes. In "Trades News Articles"
August 28, 2005 - Here are the results from strike votes across Ontario on August 28: CAW members at General Motors voted 97.1 per cent in favour of a strike. At Ford, 95.5 percent voted in favour of a strike, while at DaimlerChrysler, 97.9 per cent supported a strike, if necessary. In "Trades News Articles"
The GM Windsor transmission plant has been chosen to supply transmissions for the first hybrid passenger vehicles General Motors is bringing to market next year. Find the story as well in "Trades News Articles"
August 27, 2005 - GM's new Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission, an advanced transmission with clutch-to-clutch shift operation for front- and all-wheel drive vehicles, will debut in the all-new 2007 Saturn Aura midsize sedan. In "Trades News Articles"
UAW union leaders said Friday they are increasingly concerned about gas prices and how they'll affect the Big Three automakers. But the union was mum on the subject of what it might do to help lower soaring labour and health care costs. In "Trades News Articles"
August 26, 2005 - GM Holden Ltd., the Australian arm of General Motors Corp., said Friday it will slash up to 1400 jobs as it struggles with falling sales of its flagship Commodore model. Our St. Catharines V8 engines go in the Commodore. In "Trades News Articles"
GM extended its employee-discounts-for-all plan for a second time Thursday and added some 2006 light trucks to the mix, stoking concerns about the automaker's ability to wean customers off huge incentives. In "Trades News Articles"
DaimlerChrysler AG and General Motors Corp. have finalized a deal to co-develop new hybrid vehicle technology, a GM spokesman said on Thursday. In "Trades News Articles"
August 25, 2005 - Moody's Investors Service cut its ratings on Ford and GM to junk status on Wednesday, the latest blow to the automakers as they battle global competition and rising costs. In "Trades News Articles"
August 24, 2005 - Against a backdrop of spiking gasoline prices, the U.S. government proposed boosting the fuel economy of popular light trucks like SUVs and pickup trucks by a projected 8 percent to about 24 miles per gallon by 2011. In "Trades News Articles"
August 23, 2005 - With gas prices continuing to rise, the Bush administration on Tuesday proposed new rules to compel auto manufacturers to make pickup trucks, minivans and some sport utility vehicles more fuel efficient. In "Trades News Articles"
Given GM's financial woes, the UAW may have to work with GM to lower health care and other costs before the two sides renegotiate a major labour contract in 2007, a top UAW official told local union leaders Monday. In "Trades News Articles"
August 22, 2005 - Despite an effort by auto industry lobbyists to kill the move, two Pacific Northwest States, Oregon and Washington, are getting ready to adopt California's new vehicle emission standards to reduce greenhouse gases for the 2016 model year. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
August 19, 2005 - In a quest for a new kind of competitive edge, automakers are pouring billions of dollars into creating cars with six, seven or possibly even eight forward speeds. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
They were the bad boys GM could hardly handle, a UAW local where members had little sympathy for the automaker during recessions and industry downturns and no use for rules foisted on them from Detroit. In "Trades News Articles"
August 18, 2005 - After years of touting ever higher horsepower numbers to win new customers, Toyota Motor Corp., Honda Motor Co. and possibly other automakers are now backtracking on some of those claims. In "Trades News Articles"
August 16, 2005 - A new survey of U.S. vehicle owners to be released today says that while this summer's employee discounts may give automakers short-term sales gains, improving quality is more important in the long run. In "Trades News Articles"
Research into a technology that would increase fuel economy by 20 percent will be accelerated by a three-year, $2.5 million program announced Monday between German supplier Robert Bosch GmbH, General Motors Corp. and Stanford University. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
August 15, 2005 - GM is developing a new family of large, rear-wheel-drive cars in a multibillion-dollar program key to the company's success worldwide, three senior company executives confirmed. In "Trades News Articles"
As U.S. automakers struggle to fend off foreign rivals and boost earnings, they're striving to duplicate the success of the 300 to win back import drivers and reverse some ominous trends. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
August 14, 2005 - Fuel prices not scary enough yet? Canadians are buying more luxury vehicles, but gas economy is becoming a priority. What does this trend hold for GM's St. Catharines operations? In "Trades News Articles"
August 13, 2005 - Gasoline-electric autos will qualify for the largest U.S. tax credits when new federal incentives for such vehicles take effect in 2006, according to a study by an energy policy group. GM's so-called mild hybrid Silverado and Sierra pickup trucks might qualify for a $250 credit. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Corp. plans to give the Ohio Corn Growers a Chevrolet Tahoe powered by a corn-based fuel to promote their E85-capable vehicles. In "Trades News Articles"
August 11, 2005 - Having nearly emptied dealer showrooms of 2005 vehicles with its "Employee Discount for Everyone" promotion, slated to end in September, General Motors has launched a new corporate campaign that is a departure from its incentive-driven market strategy. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
A federal judge in Oklahoma will soon decide whether to grant class-action status to lawsuits that claim General Motors Corp. sold pickups and sport utility vehicles with defective engines, an attorney said Wednesday. In "Trades News Articles"
August 10, 2005 - Investors of Delphi moved into the stock Tuesday as Wall Street became more convinced the nation's largest auto-parts supplier will be able to stave off bankruptcy, triggering a buying opportunity for its downtrodden shares. In "Trades News Articles"
August 9, 2005 - GM and Toyota's joint venture in Fremont, Calif., and its union have reached a tentative four-year contract agreement, averting the first work stoppage in 11 years at the state's sole auto factory. In "Trades News Articles"
August 8, 2005 - Delphi and Ford's Visteon on Monday both swung into the red and threatened bankruptcy after the US car parts suppliers felt the impact of major cuts by customers and impairment charges. In "Trades News Articles"
The Shop Committee opened 2005 Local Bargaining on July 27th. The Components Plant was chosen as the location to do this for obvious reasons. A special chairperson's report on the CAW199 site outlines Plant Chairperson Doug Orr’s opening remarks to the company. Read what he said in "Trades News Articles"
August 7, 2005 - General Motors Corp. plans to buy $1 billion US worth of auto parts from India each year by 2008 as part of cost-cutting efforts at the world's biggest automaker, a senior executive at its local subsidiary said today. In "Trades News Articles"
August 5, 2005 - GM was a late entry to the crossover market but believes it can make up for lost time with a slew of new vehicles in the next four years, GM's vice president for global product planning said Thursday. In "Trades News Articles"
GM plans to launch eight more crossover sport utility vehicles in the U.S. market by 2009 as it chases a bigger share of one of the fastest-growing vehicle segments. In "Trades News Articles"
August 4, 2005 - The head of Honda Motor Co. said he is open to working with General Motors in various areas, including fuel-cell development, as a means of gleaning its rival's expertise in the U.S. regulatory and political fields. In "Trades News Articles"
August 3, 2005 - GM dealers in the U.S. sold 530,027 new cars and trucks in July, up 20 percent compared to year-ago sales and GM's best July sales since 1979. Truck deliveries (360,655) increased 34.5 percent, establishing a new record for July and posting the second-best-ever sales month. In "Trades News Articles"
GM will offer its employee-pricing discount plan through Sept. 6, a dealer confirmed Tuesday, reversing an earlier decision to end the program after Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG decided to extend similar discounts. In "Trades News Articles"
July 2005 July 31, 2005 - Buyers have flooded GM showrooms, drawn by the no-haggle pricing and rebates that go on top of the employee discount. But behind the frenzy is a hard lesson for General Motors, which has struggled for answers as its North American operations have lost $2.5 billion in the first half of 2005. In "Trades News Articles"
July 30, 2005 - Talks between Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Corp. on a joint venture to develop fuel cell cars have stalled as the rivals are nervous about sharing state-of-the-art technologies, informed sources said Saturday. In "Trades News Articles"
It's not just the customers who are happy with the money saved from employee discount pricing on domestic automobiles. In "Trades News Articles"
July 28, 2005 - The extra cost of buying a hybrid. The surging cost of a fill-up is figuring into the car-buying decisions of Canadians, but it's not the only reason Toyota is expanding its not so fuel-conscious hybrid fleet. In "Trades News Articles"
July 27, 2005 - GM is set to end its popular and successful "employee discounts for everyone" promotion next week, and move to more emphasis on permanently lower sticker prices instead of big rebates. In "Trades News Articles"
July 26, 2005 - General Motors turned in disappointing second-quarter results and desperately needs to break the rebate dependency. In "Trades News Articles"
July 25, 2005 - On a lighter note, there are 50 reasons why Motor Trend magazine loves the GM small block V8. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
July 24, 2005 - Too many American consumers are convinced Detroit cannot a) recognize its problems or b) fix them. And c) they don't care. Actually, that, by itself, tells you everything you need to know about the predicament Detroit is in. In "Trades News Articles"
When Louis Lovett Blackwell and his co-workers at Marion's General Motors plant see reports of the company's declining market share or its intention to make layoffs or plant closures, they can't help but worry. In "Trades News Articles"
July 23, 2005 - U.S. corporations announced plans in June to cut 110,996 jobs - the highest monthly total in 17 months - and July’s toll could turn out to be steeper. Overall job cuts are on the rise in 2005, reaching 538,274 through June 2005. In "Trades News Articles"
The UAW has hired a team including Lazard Ltd., which worked on two of the largest U.S. bankruptcies, to help decide whether the union should bail out GM on health-care costs after the company's $1.4 billion in first-half losses. In "Trades News Articles"
July 22, 2005 - Chrysler to seek deal that allows cut in workforce to come over year or two, CAW says. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
The IPC and Ontario St. shop report is posted on the CAW199 web site. You can also find a link to the report in the "Trades News Articles"
Discount programs that let consumers pay the employee price for new vehicles are paying off for the Big Three U.S. automakers again for the month of July, according to sales estimates released Thursday. In "Trades News Articles"
July 21, 2005 - GM vowed to accelerate cost-cutting efforts and take advantage of low-cost parts production outside the United States after reporting a $1.2 billion second-quarter loss in North America. Not good news for Canada in negotiations. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Corp. said today it lost $286 million US in the second quarter, dragged down by a $1 billion-plus loss at its North American automotive operations, and it missed Wall Street's earnings forecast by a large margin. In "Trades News Articles"
July 20, 2005 - General Motors Corp. doesn't want to increase its manufacturing labour costs in Canada and asked the Canadian Auto Workers union Tuesday to accept cuts in other benefits to offset any wage gains. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
July 19, 2005 - GM Canada profits eroding since last labour deal, GM warns CAW as talks begin in Toronto today. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
Buzz has won many rounds but Detroit is compelled to play hardball in this set of negotiations. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
Some GM dealers in the U.S. are extending hours to handle the traffic. Chrysler's new pitchman is prompting consumers to inundate its call centers. And Ford Motor Co.'s newest models are moving off lots at a faster clip. In "Trades News Articles"
You've got to hand it to GM. Though the company has such serious problems that even its biggest "competitor" is throwing public pity parties for it, a recent scan of the headlines would make you think GM is golden. Another "It's the product stupid!" story in "Trades News Articles"
July 18, 2005 - General Motors Corp. will kick off talks for a new three-year labour contract with the CAW with a ceremonial handshake in Toronto on Tuesday. Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler will follow over the next two days. In "Trades News Articles"
High-profile Wall Street auto analyst Stephen Girsky is joining General Motors Corp. as a full-time adviser, the world's largest automaker said Monday. In "Trades News Articles"
July 16, 2005 - Ever since the first Model Ts rolled off Henry Ford’s assembly line, Detroit and its surroundings have been the capital of the U.S. auto industry. But now, thanks to cheap health care and changing tastes in cars, Canada is challenging it for the title of North America’s top producer. In "Trades News Articles"
July 15, 2005 - China's burgeoning but relatively unsophisticated consumer market has become an ideal resurrecting ground for older U.S. brands such as Buick cars and Lee jeans. In "Trades News Articles"
July 14, 2005 - General Motors Corp. and a host of the auto maker's suppliers got a boost Thursday after a Lehman Brothers analyst upgraded the sector. In "Trades News Articles"
The tinge of desperation hanging in the air over Detroit over the past few months has now given way to a dark sky teeming with thunder, lightning and swirling black clouds of doom. In "Trades News Articles"
July 13, 2005 - General Motors Corp. has been highly profitable in Canada, but the automaker cannot expect Canadian workers to bail out the automaker's U.S. operations, which have been hit by soaring health-care costs, the president of the Canadian Auto Workers union said Tuesday. In "Trades News Articles"
July 12, 2005 - "GM's inventory correction is over," said John Casesa, a Merrill Lynch analyst in New York, in a note to investors. "The auto industry's inventory correction is over - bullish news for production schedules and earnings starting in 2006." In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Acceptance Corp. expected to earn US$2.5B this year, CFO says. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
July 11, 2005 - GM’s Canada-Wide clearance takes effect on Tuesday, July 12 and finally GM is offering our GM discount to everyone!!! In "Trades News Articles"
"Importantly for GM and its parts suppliers, we think inventory levels bode well for higher production volume in 2006", Standard and Poors says in talking about the U.S. GM employee discount for all. In "Trades News Articles"
Toyota's president said Monday a tie-up with U.S. rival General Motors on fuel-cell vehicles is in its final stages, but promised to do his best to beat GM and Ford. Read the full story in "Trades News Articles"
Even with Detroit automakers struggling with soaring costs, the Canadian Auto Workers union and Buzz Hargrove is in no mood to give up any ground in upcoming contract negotiations. In "Trades News Articles"
July 10, 2005 - The 15-year reign of the big sport utility vehicle is coming to an end. That's bad news for Detroit. In "Trades News Articles"
When Rob and Colleen Cowen went car shopping recently, they found plenty of vehicles that were well made and probably scored high in reliability ratings. But few of them tripped their trigger when it came to style and looks. In "Trades News Articles"
July 9, 2005 - GM places big bet on the future of fuel cell technology. Inside a non-descript grey building tucked in a Torrance industrial park, the costly and still-sputtering hydrogen revolution is underway. In "Trades News Articles"
July 8, 2005 - Trying to keep pace with high-end competitors, GM Canada's Buick brand will increase its bumper-to-bumper warranty coverage to four years or 80,000 kilometres on all 2006 models. In "Trades News Articles"
July 7, 2005 - To counter the stellar sales of GM in Canada last month and following the lead of GM in the U.S., DaimlerChrysler Canada and Ford of Canada have announced employee pricing discounts on most of their 2005 models. In "Trades News Articles"
GM of Canada posted stellar sales in June on the back of compact cars and small sport utility vehicles.The auto maker sold 43,307 vehicles last month, up 19 per cent from June, 2004. In "Trades News Articles"
July 5, 2005 - General Motors Corp. on Tuesday announced it was extending its discount program that allows customers to buy cars and trucks at the employee rate and helped the automaker's sales soar last month. In "Trades News Articles"
July 2, 2005 - General Motors dealers in the U.S. sold 558,092 new cars and trucks in June, up 41 percent compared to year-ago sales. This was GM’s best sales month since September 1986. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Corp. shares rallied three weeks ago on optimism that the company was pressing its biggest union to agree to cuts in health-care benefits by Thursday. Now, both sides make it clear no deal is imminent. In "Trades News Articles"
May - June 2005 archive |
