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Skilled Trades Association September - October 2005 Archive October 2005 Oct 31, 2005 - Are Detroit's big two facing an inexorable slide downhill or re-tooling for a dramatic comeback? This glass half empty/half full debate is keeping the automotive media pundits hopping, many of them all too willing to share their own prescriptions for reviving the patients. In "Trades News Articles"
A move in the U.S.with great consequences for Michigan workers and retirees, Congress is moving toward legislation that will put even more financial pressure on beleaguered automakers to protect retiree pensions. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 29, 2005 - Auto manufacturers sometimes have to guess at which features they should put in their vehicles, but at other times the U.S. federal government makes the decision for them. Read the full story at the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
Oct 28, 2005 - GM's announcement on Wednesday that the SEC was investigating its pension accounting, retiree benefits and transactions with former unit Delphi Corp. led to speculation in financial markets that the world's largest automaker could file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 27, 2005 - GM cries poverty to cut benefits in the U.S.. Eliminating these wages and benefits is GM’s real target. A race to the bottom? In "Trades News Articles"
Pick the more reliable car brand: Buick or Mercedes? Chevy or Audi? Lincoln or Volvo? Ford or Volkswagen? In "Trades News Articles"
Toyota Motor Corp. will raise vehicle output by 11 percent next year, unseating General Motors Corp. as the world's biggest manufacturer of automobiles, a Japanese newspaper reported on Wednesday. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 26, 2005 - General Motors Corp. is expected to unveil today the first of a new generation of transmissions that will improve the fuel economy and performance of its cars and trucks. In "Trades News Articles"
DaimlerChrysler on Tuesday reported a $910 million profit for the third quarter, buoyed by sales of new products at its Mercedes and Chrysler divisions. The results were in sharp contrast to U.S. rivals General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co., which reported substantial losses last week. In "Trades News Articles"
Delphi Corp., which filed for bankruptcy protection earlier this month, is asking the United Auto Workers to agree to pay cuts of more than 60 percent for hourly workers and to relinquish health and pension benefits and vacation time. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 25, 2005 - Toyota Motor Corp. sells more hybrid vehicles than any other automaker, but an environmental group is targeting the company anyway, saying the average fuel economy of Toyota vehicles is worse than it was 20 years ago. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 24, 2005 - Japanese truck maker Isuzu Motors is wrapping up talks with General Motors to take over the struggling U.S. automaker's commercial truck business in Australia. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors is drawing up stand-by plans to boost production of smaller vehicles in case the recent increase in US demand for fuel-efficient cars and light trucks continues into next year. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 22, 2005 - Grimaldi said when asked if St. Catharines was going to become another Flint, Michigan, because of downsizing, "But what we have to do is ensure that we are globally competitive." So THAT answers the question? In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 21, 2005 - Doug Orr's Chairperson's report for October 19th can be found on the CAW199 web site even if they have the date wrong at the top of the page.
The CEOs of General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. said this week that this summer's employee discount incentives were a big success but U.S. automakers can't continue to offer huge discounts. In "Trades News Articles"
The UAW on Thursday said its leadership had unanimously endorsed a deal with General Motors Corp. allowing the automaker to slash its multibillion-dollar health-care costs. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 20, 2005 - General Motors Corp. isn't considering bankruptcy protection as a way to solve its financial troubles, the automaker's chairman and CEO said Wednesday. Read the full story at the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
America's (and Canada's) middle class is in the tank and yet the people of the U.S. seem to be sleepwalking through it all. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 19, 2005 - Although the moves that GM and the UAW made Monday could mark a turning point for GM at what Chairman Rick Wagoner called a "critical juncture in its history," serious challenges remain. In "Trades News Articles"
A deal between General Motors and the United Auto Workers to lower health care costs in the U.S. won't dissuade the company from investing in Canada, CAW president Buzz Hargrove said Monday. In "Trades News Articles"
The CAW Local 222 Oshaworker newsletter for October 2005 is now posted on their site.
Oct 18, 2005 - Working families have to wake up. We need a new movement, a new agenda, and new leadership. And with Delphi suggesting that Detroit is about to go down, we don't have much time. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 17, 2005 - GM and the UAW reached a tentative agreement early today to reduce GM’s health-care costs significantly while maintaining high quality health-care benefits for its hourly employees and retirees in the United States. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Corp. reported a loss of $1.1 billion in the third quarter of 2005. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 15, 2005 - We have added a "Doc 13 Enhanced Retirement" area to the site. We wish everyone well that considers this opportunity.
It’s inevitable that Toyota will become the world’s No. 1 automaker, says Buzz Hargrove, although a company official refutes the reasoning behind the Canadian Auto Workers president’s assertion. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 14, 2005 - The news of Delphi's bankruptcy filing may be just another piece of business news to those who don't live around these parts, or for those who don't have a vested interest in the U.S. auto industry, but the sad fact of the matter is that this development is just the tip of the iceberg. In "Trades News Articles"
GM wants auto workers in the U.S. to agree cuts in its $5.6 billion annual health-care costs in the next few days, or GM could cut them unilaterally, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 13, 2005 - Delphi. Chairman Robert S. "Steve" Miller made a fiery defence Wednesday of his decision to take the auto-parts giant into bankruptcy and warned the company's 33,000 union workers to expect huge pay cuts by early next year. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 12, 2005 - GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz said Tuesday the automaker will save billions in development costs with a new global engineering plan, but he wouldn't discuss some critical issues facing GM. In "Trades News Articles"
Why is grizzly pit boss Kirk Kerkorian out of hibernation and snapping at General Motors' heels? In "Trades News Articles"
It's autumn in Detroit but General Motors Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Rick Wagoner is feeling searing summer heat. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 11, 2005 - In response to reports on the cynical looting and self-serving policies of the managements of Delphi Corp. This editorial appears in the October 14, 2005 issue of Executive Intelligence Review entitled, "Have You No Sense of Shame?" Read the full story at the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
GM was the top performer among U.S. automakers in a survey of buyer satisfaction. Honda Motor Co. was the overall winner. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 10, 2005 - These days, auto companies tout their crash-test ratings and advanced safety features in ads because they think safety sells. In "Trades News Articles"
GM debt may rally after short-term volatility from Delphi Corp.'s bankruptcy filing eases, because its likely impact on GM may be overstated. In "Trades News Articles"
While studying automotive door assemblies a few years ago, researcher Jay Baron made an amazing discovery: One automaker's door assemblies, made from near-perfect parts, were getting low marks from customers who complained that the doors were leaky. Read the full story at the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
Oct 9, 2005 - Now that Delphi has declared bankruptcy, the largest in U.S. automotive history, what will it mean for it's workers and it's largest customer, General Motors? Read the full story at the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
Oct 8, 2005 - Delphi Corp., the nation’s largest auto parts supplier, filed for bankruptcy Saturday in a move that places thousands of North American factory jobs at risk and deals another blow to the beleaguered N.A. auto industry. In "Trades News Articles"
Blow Your Horn, Detroit! U.S. auto makers have passenger cars that are reliable, fuel efficient, and good looking. They're just not making enough of a noise about it. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 7, 2005 - Auto supplier Delphi Corp. said Friday it has beefed up severance packages for top executives in order to encourage them to stay on as the company prepares for a major restructuring that could include bankruptcy. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 6, 2005 - Delphi Corp. has demanded that its 24,000 UAW workers accept unprecedented cuts in wages and benefits as part of a last-ditch effort to keep the giant auto-parts maker from going bankrupt, according to a UAW memo. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 5, 2005 - GM.’s World Wide Facilities Group (WFG) has taken the leap into the virtual world. They decided to lock in plant designs as virtual models and then tell the contractors: "Go build THAT!" In "Trades News Articles"
Toyota has agreed to buy 8.7 percent of the shares General Motors holds in Japanese automaker Fuji Heavy Industries, Toyota and Fuji officials said Wednesday. In "Trades News Articles"
General Motors Corp. and the UAW appear to be nearing a deal to cut the automaker's ballooning annual health care costs, expected to approach $6 billion this year. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 4, 2005 - It was 13 years ago this month that the board of General Motors Corp. made history by forcing the resignation of Chairman Robert Stempel. Now, the current 12-member GM board is on the corporate hot seat as it grapples with an agenda of profound challenges facing the world’s No. 1 automaker. In "Trades News Articles"
The highly regarded factories of General Motors of Canada are in danger of losing their long-standing labour cost advantage over GM's American operations, an executive of the world's largest automaker said Monday. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 3, 2005 - GM dealers in the U.S. sold 349,202 new cars and trucks in September, down 24 percent from the same month a year ago. Car sales declined 14.5 percent and truck sales were off 29.5 percent. In "Trades News Articles"
That unmistakable new-car smell may soon be heading the way of the rumble seat: recent research linking it to a toxic cocktail of harmful chemicals is spurring efforts by Japanese automakers to tone down the fumes. In "Trades News Articles"
One step forward and one step back for hydrogen fuel cells this week, as GM deferred the development of its Sequel fuel-cell concept due to its financial problems, but also said that rising fuel prices will help to drive forward the adoption of fuel-cell cars. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 2, 2005 - Thousands of CAW members who work at GM plants in Canada have voted in favour of a new three-year collective agreement with the company. In "Trades News Articles"
The Big Three and their suppliers could cut as many as 75,000 jobs before this latest round of restructuring is over, according to Sean McAlinden, chief economist for the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. Already, GM has said it plans to cut 25,000 jobs before 2008. In "Trades News Articles"
Oct 1, 2005 - Jim Stanford, aka The Great Zamboni, keeps 'em on the edges of their seats as he demystifies the muddle of auto talks. Thank god he's on our side. Read the full story at the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
September 2005 Sept 30, 2005 - GM and some U.S. lawmakers are criticizing Japan for what they call discriminatory and arbitrary government policies that threaten free trade between the two countries. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 29, 2005 - You will find information regarding our ratification vote this Sunday and links to the highlights of the DaimlerChrysler and Ford contracts in "2005 CAW Negotiations".
After an unusually smooth set of negotiations, General Motors, Ford and DaimlerChrysler have contracts with their Canadian unionized workers and can concentrate on the future of their businesses. What? In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 28, 2005 - A labour consultant in the U.S. said automakers are so concerned about the 2007 negotiations that they had to take a hard line with the CAW, he said. Read the full story above or in the "Trades News Articles"
GM will also cut jobs at its St. Catharines, Ontario, engine plant, but the union persuaded the company not to demolish part of the facility, which would have hurt its ability to attract new investment by the automaker, Hargrove said. In "Trades News Articles"
GM reached a three-year contract agreement with the Canadian Auto Workers union just before the deadline, averting a midnight strike. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 27, 2005 - “They have actually told us their intention is to demolish the west side of Ontario Street,” said Doug Orr, GM unit chairman for CAW Local 199, in a telephone interview Monday from Toronto. In "Trades News Articles"
"We really did think we'd have this thing done late this morning or early afternoon, but it's become more difficult than we had anticipated," a worn-looking Hargrove said in a break from talks at a downtown hotel. In "Trades News Articles"
The Canadian Auto Workers union has not received a commitment from DaimlerChrysler Canada Ltd. to build its next North American assembly plant in Windsor. Read the full story above or in the "Trades News Articles"
Sept 26, 2005 - An agreement is close. "GM is seeking changes that would cut jobs at St. Catharines and also intends to demolish part of that plant", Hargrove said. Read the full story above or in the "Trades News Articles"
Highlights of the Daimler-Chrysler and CAW agreement that were handed out at the ratification meeting can be found here or in the "Trades News Articles"
Sept 25, 2005 - General Motors of Canada's chief negotiator Al Green informed CAW president Buzz Hargrove this evening that he is not yet prepared to table an economic proposal. In "Trades News Articles"
The new three-year agreement at DaimlerChrysler has been overwhelmingly ratified by CAW members at ratification meetings across Ontario. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 24, 2005 - The CAW may not be able to reach an agreement with GM without a strike, union President Buzz Hargrove said today. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 23, 2005 - Contract talks between GM and the CAW remain stalled because GM still rejects the pattern set down in recent deals with other automakers, the union said on Friday. In "Trades News Articles"
GM presented suppliers Thursday with a new plan the automaker hopes will improve its relationship with them while cutting its costs. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 22, 2005 - The CAW doesn't expect an early settlement with General Motors Corp., the world's biggest automaker, as GM continues to resist terms that other carmakers accepted, CAW President Buzz Hargrove said. In "Trades News Articles"
Doug Orr's Chairperson's report for September 20th entitled "Bargaining 2005 - Not Business As Usual" can be found on the CAW199 web site.
Las Vegas billionaire Kirk Kerkorian is seeking at least one of the 12 seats on GM's board of directors, he said Wednesday, the first sign that GM's third-largest shareholder wants a say in how the money losing automaker is run. In "Trades News Articles"
GM says Toyota quality is down. Top exec says the Japanese auto maker's recent recalls have tarnished their reputation for quality. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 21, 2005 - Buzz Hargrove said there isn't that much to debate with GM and an agreement should be reachable "in two or three days." In "Trades News Articles"
Ford's new collective agreement is a pattern that GM will follow. The highlights of the agreement can be found here or in a link in the "Trades News Articles"
Sept 20, 2005 - The Canadian Auto Workers struck an early morning settlement with DaimlerChrysler today that averted a strike by 11,400 Ontario employees. Read the full story from the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
Sept 19, 2005 - The Canadian Auto Workers said Monday morning it could reach a tentative agreement with DaimlerChrysler AG as early as today. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 18, 2005 - CAW members who work at Ford Canada have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new three-year collective agreement. In "Trades News Articles"
Industry Report: Brand management costing GM too much money. Does the General really need GMC when it already has Chevy trucks? In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 17, 2005 - The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) have set a strike deadline of 11:59 p.m. Sept. 20 after declaring a virtual stalemate in its triennial negotiations with DaimlerChrysler. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 16, 2005 - GM Canada is warning that it could be forced to reject the new labour deal the Canadian Auto Workers has won with Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. -- a development that would spark a strike at the largest auto maker in Canada. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 15, 2005 - In the boardroom at the General Motors Oshawa plant is a baseball bat. Two words are carved on it: Beat Toyota. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 14, 2005 - The Canadian Auto Workers union picked DaimlerChrysler Canada on Wednesday as the next target in its contract negotiations with the Big Three North American automakers. In "Trades News Articles"
Job losses at Ford Canada over the next three years would be much wider if not for conditions on government funding for a plant expansion that the automaker plans for Oakville. Read the full story from the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
The Oshawa CAW local 222 newsletter, the Oshaworker for September 2005 is posted today on their web site.
Sept 13, 2005 - General Motors Corp. , trying to wean itself off huge discounts to draw customers into showrooms, is pitching the idea that its vehicles are "smart" enough to tell you how they're doing. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 12, 2005 - Ford Canada will have 1,100 fewer jobs in Ontario and one less factory by the end of a three-year labour deal reached with the Canadian Auto Workers on Monday. Buzz said, "I believe our members will see the wisdom of what we have done." Read the full story from the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
The Canadian Auto Workers expects to announce a new contract with Ford later today. In a media briefing in downtown Toronto this morning, CAW president Buzz Hargrove said the sides are still working on details, but he is confident a tentative deal between 11,600 employees and the company has been reached. In "Trades News Articles"
The CAW's Ford bargaining committee said on Sunday that a three-year contract offer from Ford Motor Co. appeared to satisfy its members concerns on compensation, and union negotiators were hopeful of reaching a definitive agreement on Monday. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 11, 2005 - GM makes hay outside Toyota's gig. You've heard of the wedding crashers. How 'bout the party crashers? In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 10, 2005 - GM wants parts makers to open plants in low-cost countries, a move sure to spark fury. General Motors Corp. is launching a three-year cost-cutting plan that will stress the need for U.S. parts suppliers to open more factories in low-cost countries and to become more competitive on costs and price. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 9, 2005 - Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove has effectively delayed choosing a target company in 2005 contract talks by starting negotiations with Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd., but warning that he could jump to DaimlerChrysler Canada Inc. if there's no quick deal with Ford. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 7, 2005 - General Motors Corp. is taking a harder stance than it's Detroit rivals in negotiations with the Canadian Auto Workers as the union prepares to pick a target for the talks, CAW President Buzz Hargrove said. In "Trades News Articles"
German luxury carmaker BMW will join DaimlerChrysler and General Motors in an alliance to develop new hybrid vehicle technology, two industry sources told Reuters on Wednesday. In "Trades News Articles"
Can One Man Save GM? No, but CEO Rick Wagoner is working overtime to make sure his company rises to the life-and-death challenges ahead. Read the full story from the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
Sept 6, 2005 - The clock starts ticking this week for the Canadian Auto Workers union to negotiate new labour deals for more than 40,000 Ontario workers, but the union's leader is hoping for early settlements well ahead of strike deadlines. In "Trades News Articles"
Profits continued to decline for China's auto industry in the first seven months of this year, signalling that a restructuring is in the offing. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 5, 2005 - What goes up (fuel costs) must come down (large truck and SUV sales). Right? This vehicular law of gravity is accepted by many in the automobile industry. But few expect the masses to trade their gas-gulping, three-rows-of-seats road hogs for some elfin car that drinks fuel by the drop. In "Trades News Articles"
A recent meeting in Chicago of roughly 1,500 labour leaders from around the world had a rather novel agenda. They convened under a banner that read: "Imagine a Global Union." When they adjourned, they had begun to build one. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 3, 2005 - You get a terrific view from the top of a roller coaster-- but there’s only one way to go. GM execs would have known the feeling at the beginning of August-- if they were paying attention. They weren’t... In "Trades News Articles"
In the race to build a new generation of energy-efficient cars, the spark plug may become one of the first casualties. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 2, 2005 - The powerful CAW union is still mulling its options on which of the Big Three automakers to target when pay talks start next week, but analysts say cash-rich DaimlerChrysler is the most likely to fit the bill. In "Trades News Articles"
Billionaire financier Kirk Kerkorian looked past rising gas prices, heated union discussions, stiff competition and the economic impact of Hurricane Katrina to raise his bet on General Motors. In "Trades News Articles"
Sept 1, 2005 - GM's sales dropped 16 percent in August, the victim of the hugely popular discount program that reduced the automaker's inventory in the preceding months. Read the full story from the link above or in the "Trades News Articles"
GM likely will help bail out struggling parts supplier Delphi Corp. in part to ensure smooth launches of sport utility vehicles that are key to GM's own turnaround, analysts said in reports on Wednesday. In "Trades News Articles"
Some complain that the new "value pricing" pushed by General Motors is just a trick to raise prices. Let's hope so... In "Trades News Articles"
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