State of the Union October 4, 2010

Oct. 4, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

From President Dan Howell: This Wednesday is the deadline to register to vote for the November 2 elections. You can go to www.govotemissouri.comto register online and download information about polling places, what’s on the ballot and other election-related information.

From AOL Autos: If you're thinking about buying a 2011 General Motors vehicle, you'll be getting more than just a new car, crossover, SUV or truck. The oil in your new vehicle's engine will be new as well, meeting a recently unveiled specification called "dexos 1." Oils that meet the dexos 1 (yes, with a lowercase “d”) standard provide some real benefits. However, when it comes time for that first oil change, expect a 25-30 percent cost increase -- which could be about the same as choosing pure synthetic oil. Further, GM says that if a customer has an engine failure that is traced to oil or lubrication issues, and if the customer does not use dexos 1 oil in their gasoline-powered GM vehicle, that act alone could void the warranty. The same goes for GM vehicles with diesel engines, which use a diesel-specific “dexos 2” oil blend.

September sales information

From Automotive News: Retail sales at General Motor's four core brands sprinted to a 39 percent gain in September, aided by strong pickup demand and comparisons with a weak year-earlier period that marked the first month after cash-for-clunker incentives. Overall sales, including those to fleets, at Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC rose 22 percent for the month. Add in four discontinued brands that are running out of inventory, and GM's total sales rose a more moderate 11 percent. Demand for the Chevrolet Silverado pickup jumped 66 percent to 32,185 units, including a 64 percent gain in retail sales, said Alan Batey, Chevrolet sales chief. The GMC Sierra posted a 53 percent sales increase in September vs. the year-earlier period. GM's average transaction price in September was $31,600 per vehicle, just slightly below an average $32,000 in the year-earlier period. Johnson said GM retail shoppers can expect better selection and availability of vehicles going forward. Because of production increases in recent months, GM's four core brands now have 478,000 vehicles in inventory, he said, a 22 percent gain over the 393,000 in inventory at the end of September 2009. Batey said output of the new Chevrolet Cruze is expected to reach full production at GM's Lordstown (Ohio) Assembly Plant in November. And Flint (Mich.) Assembly, where GM makes both light- and heavy-duty versions of the Silverado and Sierra, is operating on maximum overtime.

Here are the September results for the van:

2010 2009 Change Share
Ford Econoline 8471 6786 +24.8% 54.9%
GM 6156 5175 +19.0% 39.9%
Mercedes Sprinter 804 --- --- 5.2%
Ford Transit 3571 1527 +134%

Note: We sold 5750 vans in August. We produced 8125 vans in September.