Dec. 23, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
· From Chairman Mike Bullock: I would like to take this time to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. This past year has been challenging and I am grateful for your support as we work through difficult issues. And I want to commend you on your generosity as a membership, with the Adopt-A-Child and Make-A-Wish programs being just a couple of examples of your willingness to help those less fortunate than us. Enjoy your time off with your families, relax and please be safe. See you next year!
· The modulator for channel 36 of the plant communication system has expired so the video and radio is available on channel 34. However, many televisions may not have that channel loaded. We hope to get the modulator repaired and apologize for the inconvenience.
· From Automotive News: UAW President Bob King said the union intends to launch a campaign in January to organize the U.S. manufacturing plants of Asian and German automakers. King said the UAW has sent letters to the global CEOs of the automakers with U.S. transplant operations, saying the union wants to organize their plants and cooperate to improve operations. King declined to say which transplant automaker the UAW would target first or to reveal how the automakers responded to the letter. The union is asking target automakers to sign principles pledging that they will not interfere with free and fair union elections at their factories. The principles, which King first announced this summer, were approved by the UAW's board of directors within the past week, King said. If the UAW is allowed to hold a fair election and workers at transplant operations vote against unionization, the UAW will respect the decision and quietly leave, King said.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
State of the Union December 22, 2010
Dec. 22, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
· From Chairman Mike Bullock: To clear up any confusion, the January schedule that management presented to me has 10.3 hours per day and three (3) Fridays: 1/7, 1/21 and 1/28. I have not agreed to any additional Fridays. There will be a 4-day weekend for the Martin Luther King holiday as we have Friday, Jan. 14 off. Also, tomorrow will be a VR blackout day and a qualifying day for holiday pay.
· From Community Services: We were able to provide Christmas for 110 children this year that otherwise wouldn’t have had one. Once again you have outdone yourselves. Thanks to all who donated their time and money to help bring some happiness to those in need.
· The drawing for the HP laptop computer will now be held at first break Thursday, Dec. 23. Tickets are still available from any Civil Rights committee member and are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and the proceeds will go to the Martin Luther King scholarship fund.
· From Automotive News: General Motors Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson is looking to at least triple the company's target for electric-car sales by expanding the market for the Chevrolet Volt and adding models that would share similar technology, said three people familiar with his plan. Akerson told GM's executive team in early December to find ways to sell three to four times as many electric cars as planned for 2012 by mid-decade, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. GM has said it expects to sell 10,000 Volts in 2011 and 45,000 the following year, when capacity may reach 60,000. Akerson told his executive team to come back to him with a way to meet the higher sales numbers for the Volt and other electric-drive models, or with reasons why it can't be done, one of the people familiar with the plan said.
· From the Detroit Free Press: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recognized 66 vehicles on Wednesday with its "top safety pick award" for the 2011 model year, the most-ever awarded by the Virginia-based group. The number was more than double the 27 vehicles selected last year. The vehicles were chosen for protection in front, side and rear crash tests. To qualify, the insurance industry group also requires the vehicles to have anti-rollover electronic stability control and receive top scores in roof strength tests. GM's winners include the Chevrolet Malibu, Cruze and Equinox; Cadillac CTS and SRX; Buick LaCrosse and Regal and GMC Terrain.
Nothing in this message is intended to constitute an electronic signature unless a specific statement to the contrary is included in this message.
· From Chairman Mike Bullock: To clear up any confusion, the January schedule that management presented to me has 10.3 hours per day and three (3) Fridays: 1/7, 1/21 and 1/28. I have not agreed to any additional Fridays. There will be a 4-day weekend for the Martin Luther King holiday as we have Friday, Jan. 14 off. Also, tomorrow will be a VR blackout day and a qualifying day for holiday pay.
· From Community Services: We were able to provide Christmas for 110 children this year that otherwise wouldn’t have had one. Once again you have outdone yourselves. Thanks to all who donated their time and money to help bring some happiness to those in need.
· The drawing for the HP laptop computer will now be held at first break Thursday, Dec. 23. Tickets are still available from any Civil Rights committee member and are $5 apiece or 3 for $10 and the proceeds will go to the Martin Luther King scholarship fund.
· From Automotive News: General Motors Chief Executive Officer Dan Akerson is looking to at least triple the company's target for electric-car sales by expanding the market for the Chevrolet Volt and adding models that would share similar technology, said three people familiar with his plan. Akerson told GM's executive team in early December to find ways to sell three to four times as many electric cars as planned for 2012 by mid-decade, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private. GM has said it expects to sell 10,000 Volts in 2011 and 45,000 the following year, when capacity may reach 60,000. Akerson told his executive team to come back to him with a way to meet the higher sales numbers for the Volt and other electric-drive models, or with reasons why it can't be done, one of the people familiar with the plan said.
· From the Detroit Free Press: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recognized 66 vehicles on Wednesday with its "top safety pick award" for the 2011 model year, the most-ever awarded by the Virginia-based group. The number was more than double the 27 vehicles selected last year. The vehicles were chosen for protection in front, side and rear crash tests. To qualify, the insurance industry group also requires the vehicles to have anti-rollover electronic stability control and receive top scores in roof strength tests. GM's winners include the Chevrolet Malibu, Cruze and Equinox; Cadillac CTS and SRX; Buick LaCrosse and Regal and GMC Terrain.
Nothing in this message is intended to constitute an electronic signature unless a specific statement to the contrary is included in this message.
State of the Union December 21 2010
Dec. 21, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
· The deadline for picking up your thermometers or claiming a prize from the Suggestion Fair drawing is Wednesday, Dec. 22. To claim your prize go to suggestions or call 2308 to make an appointment. The following names were drawn and have not picked up their prize:
David Hurst Randy Oliver
Karl Hatfill Donna Royster
Jim Meyer Bob Warren
Keith Glaze Rich Sommer
B. Patton G. D’Aveta
Dan Smith Ken Wikoff George Thompson Charles Fordyce
Brenda Dunnegan Elijah Chambers
Jacqueline Hunter Herb McBride
Leon Pinder Roger Morrow
Lynn Shannon Jerry Bergman
Charles Taylor John Gottschalk
Stan Herbert
· From the Detroit News: Toyota Motor Corp. agreed Monday to pay $32.4 million in federal fines, settling two federal investigations that found the automaker delayed recalling nearly 6 million vehicles. Toyota's board of directors agreed to pay the maximum fine in two separate investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toyota will pay $16.4 million after NHTSA said the Japanese automaker delayed its recall of nearly 5 million vehicles for pedal entrapment and will pay $16 million after the agency said it delayed a 2005 recall of 980,000 million 4Runners and pickups for faulty steering rods that could lead to loss of steering control. Toyota didn't admit to any wrongdoing in paying the record fines.
· General Motors says it is recalling 111,136 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX crossovers because of seat belt buckle anchors that could fail in a crash. Some of the crossover vehicles were produced with a seat belt buckle anchor that was cracked, according to GM.
What The NY Times Op-Ed Page Doesn′t Know About Cars (Opinion) – Jalopnik By Justin Hyde
Earlier this week, an automotive blogger took to the pages of the New York Times to argue that the Detroit bailout didn't work. Why can't the New York Times op-ed page find writers who know anything about the auto industry?
In his piece "A Green Detroit? No, A Guzzling One," Edward Niedermeyer does his best Tom Friedman impersonation, contending that despite what President Barack Obama said would happen, General Motors and Chrysler have failed to make strides in fuel-efficient technology, and "Detroit is falling back into the bad habits" which could lead to another bailout. What Mr. Obama called his "one goal" - having Detroit "lead the world in building the next generation of clean cars" - is nowhere near being achieved. While the idea of improving G.M.'s and Chrysler's fuel efficiency was doubtless a politically popular justification for the bailout, American consumers have not embraced the goal with equal fervor.
Already we're in the ditch. It may be news to the anti-SUV crowd, but Detroit can rightfully claim a share of leadership in green cars. GM has the Volt, plus a 40-mpg compact car that doesn't suck and more on the way. Ford has hybrids and electric vehicles, plus it has spread fuel-efficient turbo engines throughout its lineup, including the full-size pickups Americans continue to demand. Chrysler's is behind the other two in general, but given it was dead in the water, its new models have acceptable efficiency for their size, and its reworking hasn't hit the smaller vehicles yet.
If Detroit isn't leading, who is? Niedermeyer pings Detroit for not matching the fuel economy of foreign automakers who don't sell millions of full-size pickups. Yet Toyota's average fleet fuel economy likely fell by 0.9 mpg for the 2010 model year, while Detroit's improved or stayed steady. Nissan has the Leaf, which just went on sale in limited numbers, and little else. Hyundai has come on strong, but doesn't play in the larger vehicles that Detroit builds, and European companies still pay federal fuel-economy fines rather than meet U.S. standards.
Meanwhile, Niedermeyer also wants to blame Detroit for building the pickups and SUVs that remain popular with buyers, saying inventories have swollen along with rebates. Even GM being profitable enough to launch the largest stock offering in history gets turned into a demerit because "taxpayers have every incentive to cheer on the bailed-out automaker as it overproduces vehicles and pushes cheap credit." Automakers are just as vulnerable to credit crunches and other economic shocks as they are to sharp increases in energy prices. On this front, Detroit is falling back into the bad habits that led G.M. and Chrysler to collapse.
He's right in so far as inventories have grown — yet they're still lower than what they were a year ago. Given forecasts for a 10% growth in auto sales next year and strong sales in the back half of this year, it would be news if supplies weren't rising. Chrysler, often dinged for relying on fleet sales, had a 79-day supply at the end of November. Honda, the green, scrappy, fleet-resistant company held up by the Friedmanites as an example of what Detroit should be like, had a 70-day supply. As for credit, GM and Chrysler now sport some of the strongest balance sheets in the industry, thanks to their bankruptcies. It's easy to find analysts worrying that GM won't carry enough debt. Chrysler's paying interest through the nose on its $7 billion U.S. government loan, but has $8 billion in cash on hand. And do we need to mention that it was far more than just Chrysler and GM that turned to governments here and abroad for help during the last credit crunch?
So according to the Times, if gas prices don't rise and Americans don't buy greener vehicles, then the bailout of GM and Chrysler fell short. If gas prices do rise — creating the demand for the more-efficient models Detroit has now shown it can produce — that's also bad, because the credit markets will suffer, and then flying unicorns attack Detroit and its Bailout II: Electric Boogaloo. For this holiday, I'd wish for a few days where we set aside the kvetching about what the U.S. auto industry is or isn't, and simply enjoy the fact that we as a nation decided a couple hundred thousand people should earn a living in manufacturing instead of hearing their children ask Santa Claus to stop their electricity from being shut off. I would also wish for better insights into the auto industry from the New York Times op-ed page, but I know better than to ask for flying unicorns.
Nothing in this message is intended to constitute an electronic signature unless a specific statement to the contrary is included in this message.
· The deadline for picking up your thermometers or claiming a prize from the Suggestion Fair drawing is Wednesday, Dec. 22. To claim your prize go to suggestions or call 2308 to make an appointment. The following names were drawn and have not picked up their prize:
David Hurst Randy Oliver
Karl Hatfill Donna Royster
Jim Meyer Bob Warren
Keith Glaze Rich Sommer
B. Patton G. D’Aveta
Dan Smith Ken Wikoff George Thompson Charles Fordyce
Brenda Dunnegan Elijah Chambers
Jacqueline Hunter Herb McBride
Leon Pinder Roger Morrow
Lynn Shannon Jerry Bergman
Charles Taylor John Gottschalk
Stan Herbert
· From the Detroit News: Toyota Motor Corp. agreed Monday to pay $32.4 million in federal fines, settling two federal investigations that found the automaker delayed recalling nearly 6 million vehicles. Toyota's board of directors agreed to pay the maximum fine in two separate investigations by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Toyota will pay $16.4 million after NHTSA said the Japanese automaker delayed its recall of nearly 5 million vehicles for pedal entrapment and will pay $16 million after the agency said it delayed a 2005 recall of 980,000 million 4Runners and pickups for faulty steering rods that could lead to loss of steering control. Toyota didn't admit to any wrongdoing in paying the record fines.
· General Motors says it is recalling 111,136 2011 Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX crossovers because of seat belt buckle anchors that could fail in a crash. Some of the crossover vehicles were produced with a seat belt buckle anchor that was cracked, according to GM.
What The NY Times Op-Ed Page Doesn′t Know About Cars (Opinion) – Jalopnik By Justin Hyde
Earlier this week, an automotive blogger took to the pages of the New York Times to argue that the Detroit bailout didn't work. Why can't the New York Times op-ed page find writers who know anything about the auto industry?
In his piece "A Green Detroit? No, A Guzzling One," Edward Niedermeyer does his best Tom Friedman impersonation, contending that despite what President Barack Obama said would happen, General Motors and Chrysler have failed to make strides in fuel-efficient technology, and "Detroit is falling back into the bad habits" which could lead to another bailout. What Mr. Obama called his "one goal" - having Detroit "lead the world in building the next generation of clean cars" - is nowhere near being achieved. While the idea of improving G.M.'s and Chrysler's fuel efficiency was doubtless a politically popular justification for the bailout, American consumers have not embraced the goal with equal fervor.
Already we're in the ditch. It may be news to the anti-SUV crowd, but Detroit can rightfully claim a share of leadership in green cars. GM has the Volt, plus a 40-mpg compact car that doesn't suck and more on the way. Ford has hybrids and electric vehicles, plus it has spread fuel-efficient turbo engines throughout its lineup, including the full-size pickups Americans continue to demand. Chrysler's is behind the other two in general, but given it was dead in the water, its new models have acceptable efficiency for their size, and its reworking hasn't hit the smaller vehicles yet.
If Detroit isn't leading, who is? Niedermeyer pings Detroit for not matching the fuel economy of foreign automakers who don't sell millions of full-size pickups. Yet Toyota's average fleet fuel economy likely fell by 0.9 mpg for the 2010 model year, while Detroit's improved or stayed steady. Nissan has the Leaf, which just went on sale in limited numbers, and little else. Hyundai has come on strong, but doesn't play in the larger vehicles that Detroit builds, and European companies still pay federal fuel-economy fines rather than meet U.S. standards.
Meanwhile, Niedermeyer also wants to blame Detroit for building the pickups and SUVs that remain popular with buyers, saying inventories have swollen along with rebates. Even GM being profitable enough to launch the largest stock offering in history gets turned into a demerit because "taxpayers have every incentive to cheer on the bailed-out automaker as it overproduces vehicles and pushes cheap credit." Automakers are just as vulnerable to credit crunches and other economic shocks as they are to sharp increases in energy prices. On this front, Detroit is falling back into the bad habits that led G.M. and Chrysler to collapse.
He's right in so far as inventories have grown — yet they're still lower than what they were a year ago. Given forecasts for a 10% growth in auto sales next year and strong sales in the back half of this year, it would be news if supplies weren't rising. Chrysler, often dinged for relying on fleet sales, had a 79-day supply at the end of November. Honda, the green, scrappy, fleet-resistant company held up by the Friedmanites as an example of what Detroit should be like, had a 70-day supply. As for credit, GM and Chrysler now sport some of the strongest balance sheets in the industry, thanks to their bankruptcies. It's easy to find analysts worrying that GM won't carry enough debt. Chrysler's paying interest through the nose on its $7 billion U.S. government loan, but has $8 billion in cash on hand. And do we need to mention that it was far more than just Chrysler and GM that turned to governments here and abroad for help during the last credit crunch?
So according to the Times, if gas prices don't rise and Americans don't buy greener vehicles, then the bailout of GM and Chrysler fell short. If gas prices do rise — creating the demand for the more-efficient models Detroit has now shown it can produce — that's also bad, because the credit markets will suffer, and then flying unicorns attack Detroit and its Bailout II: Electric Boogaloo. For this holiday, I'd wish for a few days where we set aside the kvetching about what the U.S. auto industry is or isn't, and simply enjoy the fact that we as a nation decided a couple hundred thousand people should earn a living in manufacturing instead of hearing their children ask Santa Claus to stop their electricity from being shut off. I would also wish for better insights into the auto industry from the New York Times op-ed page, but I know better than to ask for flying unicorns.
Nothing in this message is intended to constitute an electronic signature unless a specific statement to the contrary is included in this message.
Monday, December 20, 2010
State of the Union December 17 2010
Dec. 17, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
· The Vehicle Advocate Program (VAP or overnight drive) schedule has been released for 2011. Wentzville is scheduled to have the vehicles from February 7 through March 7. The vehicles in this year’s fleet are: Buick Regal, Buick Lacrosse, Chevy Traverse, Chevy Cruze, GMC Acadia Denali and Cadillac CTS Coupe.
· The deadline for picking up either the thermometer or any suggestion drawing prize is Wednesday, Dec. 23. You can call 2308 to make an appointment or stop by suggestions to claim your prize.
· The Adopt-A-Child program is sponsoring 80 children this year. You can still donate to any community services committee member if you wish to help.
· The Civil Rights Committee is still selling chances for an HP laptop computer. The tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10 and available from any committee member. The drawing will be Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 1 pm in the cafeteria. Thanks for your support.
· Below are pictures of the GMC Sierra All-Terrain HD Concept that will debut at the International Auto Show in Detroit in January. It is believed to offer a good indication of the styling of the next-generation Sierra pickup.
Here are excerpts from a Wards Auto world article about Toyota’s future: The light at the end of a dark tunnel for Toyota Motor Corp. is not as bright today as Goldman Sachs Japan analysts found it last February. A recent 28-page study summing up the auto maker’s current plight is headlined “A sleeping giant – Toyota re-rating delayed; Nissan still top pick” and underscores the difficulties the company is having to recover lost ground and raise lower rankings. Their expectations for a return to better times for the auto maker any time soon have been dimmed.
For example, they foresee global automotive sales expanding at a much faster pace in the future than the 2.6% average annual growth rate of the past 20 years, estimating year-on-year gains of 9% to 69.2 million units in calendar 2010, 8% to 75 million in 2011 and 8% to 80.7 million in 2012. Yet Toyota’s global sales, down 15% year-on-year to 7.567 million units in the fiscal year ending March 2009 and off 4% to 7.237 million in fiscal 2010, are expected to be far behind the overall industry pace, rising only 3% to 7.451 million in the current fiscal year.
In the slowly shrinking home market, Toyota is expected to remain firmly in place as the sales leader, yet operating losses in Japan in fiscal 2009 and fiscal 2010 are expected to continue, with the company’s operating margin estimated at -5% from now through fiscal 2013.
Europe is another black hole for Toyota. Sales sank from 1.284 million units in fiscal 2008 to 858,000 in fiscal 2010 ended last March and are predicted to bottom out at 723,000 in fiscal 2012 before edging up to 741,000 the following year. Toyota’s operating profits in this area ceased in fiscal 2008, replaced by operating losses in the next two years, and Goldman Sachs analysts estimate continued red ink this year through fiscal 2013.
Sales in North America, mainly the U.S., were 2.098 million units in fiscal 2010, 30% (860,000 units) below those two years before, but the analysts foresee a rise from this bottom to 2.544 million vehicles by fiscal 2013. “One of the most serious issues for Toyota at present is the mismatch between the production and sales mix, with its North American production ratio at only 50% versus 90% for Honda (Motor Co. Ltd.) and 80% for Nissan (Motor Co. Ltd.),” the report says. The authors add that “the strong yen eroded margins on models imported from Japan, and stepped up sales incentives offered since the recalls have also dented sales’ profits.” Highlighted areas of concern include:
· Operating profit sensitivity to a one yen movement against the U.S. dollar is estimated at ¥30 billion ($375 million) for Toyota, ¥15 billion ($187.5 million) for Honda and ¥14 billion ($175 million) for Nissan.
· Toyota’s under-performance in profit margin stems from weak sales volume rather than foreign exchange or costs.
· Sales mix/incentives are a key factor in the difference between Toyota and Honda profits. Likely explanations include an increase in incentives prompted by the North American recalls, deterioration in the regional and product mix due to weak sales in the high-margin North American market, and sluggish Lexus sales.
· Toyota is pursuing a variety of cost-cutting measures to maintain domestic production (about 3.2 million units) and turn a profit at an exchange rate of ¥80/$1 but seems to be still affected by recalls as sales continue to slump, especially in North America.
· Operating profits in the current fiscal year from financing will be ¥290 billion ($3.62 billion), twice those from automotive and other company business and two-thirds of Toyota’s global total, a dramatic shift from 3% of that total in fiscal 2008.
· The Vehicle Advocate Program (VAP or overnight drive) schedule has been released for 2011. Wentzville is scheduled to have the vehicles from February 7 through March 7. The vehicles in this year’s fleet are: Buick Regal, Buick Lacrosse, Chevy Traverse, Chevy Cruze, GMC Acadia Denali and Cadillac CTS Coupe.
· The deadline for picking up either the thermometer or any suggestion drawing prize is Wednesday, Dec. 23. You can call 2308 to make an appointment or stop by suggestions to claim your prize.
· The Adopt-A-Child program is sponsoring 80 children this year. You can still donate to any community services committee member if you wish to help.
· The Civil Rights Committee is still selling chances for an HP laptop computer. The tickets are $5 each or 3 for $10 and available from any committee member. The drawing will be Wednesday, Dec. 22 at 1 pm in the cafeteria. Thanks for your support.
· Below are pictures of the GMC Sierra All-Terrain HD Concept that will debut at the International Auto Show in Detroit in January. It is believed to offer a good indication of the styling of the next-generation Sierra pickup.
Here are excerpts from a Wards Auto world article about Toyota’s future: The light at the end of a dark tunnel for Toyota Motor Corp. is not as bright today as Goldman Sachs Japan analysts found it last February. A recent 28-page study summing up the auto maker’s current plight is headlined “A sleeping giant – Toyota re-rating delayed; Nissan still top pick” and underscores the difficulties the company is having to recover lost ground and raise lower rankings. Their expectations for a return to better times for the auto maker any time soon have been dimmed.
For example, they foresee global automotive sales expanding at a much faster pace in the future than the 2.6% average annual growth rate of the past 20 years, estimating year-on-year gains of 9% to 69.2 million units in calendar 2010, 8% to 75 million in 2011 and 8% to 80.7 million in 2012. Yet Toyota’s global sales, down 15% year-on-year to 7.567 million units in the fiscal year ending March 2009 and off 4% to 7.237 million in fiscal 2010, are expected to be far behind the overall industry pace, rising only 3% to 7.451 million in the current fiscal year.
In the slowly shrinking home market, Toyota is expected to remain firmly in place as the sales leader, yet operating losses in Japan in fiscal 2009 and fiscal 2010 are expected to continue, with the company’s operating margin estimated at -5% from now through fiscal 2013.
Europe is another black hole for Toyota. Sales sank from 1.284 million units in fiscal 2008 to 858,000 in fiscal 2010 ended last March and are predicted to bottom out at 723,000 in fiscal 2012 before edging up to 741,000 the following year. Toyota’s operating profits in this area ceased in fiscal 2008, replaced by operating losses in the next two years, and Goldman Sachs analysts estimate continued red ink this year through fiscal 2013.
Sales in North America, mainly the U.S., were 2.098 million units in fiscal 2010, 30% (860,000 units) below those two years before, but the analysts foresee a rise from this bottom to 2.544 million vehicles by fiscal 2013. “One of the most serious issues for Toyota at present is the mismatch between the production and sales mix, with its North American production ratio at only 50% versus 90% for Honda (Motor Co. Ltd.) and 80% for Nissan (Motor Co. Ltd.),” the report says. The authors add that “the strong yen eroded margins on models imported from Japan, and stepped up sales incentives offered since the recalls have also dented sales’ profits.” Highlighted areas of concern include:
· Operating profit sensitivity to a one yen movement against the U.S. dollar is estimated at ¥30 billion ($375 million) for Toyota, ¥15 billion ($187.5 million) for Honda and ¥14 billion ($175 million) for Nissan.
· Toyota’s under-performance in profit margin stems from weak sales volume rather than foreign exchange or costs.
· Sales mix/incentives are a key factor in the difference between Toyota and Honda profits. Likely explanations include an increase in incentives prompted by the North American recalls, deterioration in the regional and product mix due to weak sales in the high-margin North American market, and sluggish Lexus sales.
· Toyota is pursuing a variety of cost-cutting measures to maintain domestic production (about 3.2 million units) and turn a profit at an exchange rate of ¥80/$1 but seems to be still affected by recalls as sales continue to slump, especially in North America.
· Operating profits in the current fiscal year from financing will be ¥290 billion ($3.62 billion), twice those from automotive and other company business and two-thirds of Toyota’s global total, a dramatic shift from 3% of that total in fiscal 2008.
Friday, December 17, 2010
State of the Union December 17, 2010
Dec. 17, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
· Reminder: There will be Christmas parties today after work at Maggie Malones, 990 Wentzville Parkway (the annual chassis party with free eats, drink specials and door prizes) and at Heroes on the south outer road in Lake Saint Louis (drink and food specials to 10 pm and raffles). Everyone is welcome.
· Thanks to your generous donations for our laid off members we were able to use the money left over from Thanksgiving and provide Christmas hams to 60 families.
· Today is the last day to enroll any 26 year-old children on your health care plan. To do so you need to call the National Benefits Center at 1-800 489-4646 and follow the prompts to health and insurance.
· Management has released a revised schedule for January. The daily schedule will be 10.3 hours off of K-line Monday through Friday with 1/7, 1/21 and 1/28 being the scheduled Fridays.
· From Automotive News: Honda Motor Co. said it would recall about 1.35 million Fit subcompacts globally to repair defective wiring in the headlights. Subject to the recall are Fit cars built at Honda's Suzuka factory in Japan between November 2001 and October 2007. About 735,000 units will be recalled in Japan. Honda will also recall 143,000 Fits exported to the United States.
· From the Detroit Free Press: Chrysler is recalling 367,350 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans from the 2008 model year because water leaks could cause air bags to inflate inadvertently. Dealers can fix the problem by replacing a heating and cooling drain grommet, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which posted the recall on its Web site today.
· From Automotive News: General Motors Co.'s Saturn Ion is being investigated by U.S. auto-safety regulators following at least 633 complaints about sudden loss of power steering. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating about 384,000 Ions from model years 2004 to 2007, after reports of crashes involving injuries, the agency said today on its website. The agency said it received four reports of crashes involving the defect, one of which resulted in an injury. “Customers who have those vehicles have been notified,” said Alan Adler, a spokesman for GM. “And if they have loss of power-steering assist, they can go to dealers and have that repaired.”
From the International Union UAW: Here are some facts about the renegotiated U.S. Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA):
Why does the UAW support the 2010 KORUS FTA now when it didn’t support the 2007 agreement?
The UAW believes the renegotiated 2010 agreement gives far better protection to our UAW members than the 2007 agreement because it will protect current American auto jobs and grow more American auto jobs. The KORUS FTA also includes labor and environmental commitments, as well as important enforcement mechanisms. We also believe that if we did not get actively engaged before the Republican majority took control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January, then the Republicans would have advocated for the 2007 Bush-negotiated agreement with NO safeguards for our members.
How does the 2010 agreement give UAW members more protection than the 2007 agreement?
· AUTO TARIFFS: The 2010 agreement delays implementation of the tariff reductions on autos. The 2007 agreement would have immediately eliminated U.S. tariffs on automobiles and most auto parts. The 2010 agreement keeps the 2.5 percent U.S. tariff in place until the fifth year after the FTA goes into effect.
· LIGHT TRUCK TARIFFS: The 2007 agreement would have required the United States to start reducing our 25 percent tariff on Korean pickups immediatelyand eliminated it by year 10 of the agreement. The 2010 agreement allows the United States to maintain the full 25 percent tariff until the eighth year and then phases it out by the tenth year.
Does the 2010 agreement open the Korean markets to our U.S.-made vehicles better than the 2007 agreement?
· LIGHT TRUCK TARIFFS: Korea is required to keep to its original commitment to eliminate its 10 percent tariff on U.S.-made trucks immediately.
· ELECTRIC CAR TARIFFS: The 2007 agreement would have eliminated tariffs on electric cars and plug-in hybrids by year 10. Under the 2010 agreement, Korea will immediately reduce its electric car tariffs from 8 percent to 4 percent, and will phase out their tariff by year five of the agreement.
· SAFETY STANDARDS: New in the 2010 agreement is a provision that allows for 25,000 U.S.-made vehicles per U.S. automaker to be imported into Korea provided they meet U.S. federal safety standards. In the past, Korean safety standards have been used as a way to prevent the export of U.S. vehicles to Korea. After reaching 25,000 U.S. vehicles, additional U.S. vehicles are allowed to be imported into Korea if they meet, or are modified to meet, the Korean safety standards.
· AUTOMOTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS: Also new under the 2010 agreement, all U.S. autos will be considered compliant with Korean environmental standards on fuel economy and emissions. This has also been a barrier to the export of American vehicles to Korea.
Is there a limit to the number of Korean cars that can be imported to the U.S.?
· SAFEGUARDS: The KORUS FTA has a first ever, auto specific safeguard provision to protect against “surges” of Korean vehicles that harm the domestic auto industry. The safeguard goes into effect when the tariff reductions begin. The UAW, the domestic auto companies or the U.S. government may initiate a case under the new provision by petitioning the International Trade Commission (ITC). The process is similar to the one the Steelworkers successfully used in the case involving Chinese tires. The remedy for a finding of injury is the “snapback” to the original tariff levels prior to implementation of the FTA.
· Reminder: There will be Christmas parties today after work at Maggie Malones, 990 Wentzville Parkway (the annual chassis party with free eats, drink specials and door prizes) and at Heroes on the south outer road in Lake Saint Louis (drink and food specials to 10 pm and raffles). Everyone is welcome.
· Thanks to your generous donations for our laid off members we were able to use the money left over from Thanksgiving and provide Christmas hams to 60 families.
· Today is the last day to enroll any 26 year-old children on your health care plan. To do so you need to call the National Benefits Center at 1-800 489-4646 and follow the prompts to health and insurance.
· Management has released a revised schedule for January. The daily schedule will be 10.3 hours off of K-line Monday through Friday with 1/7, 1/21 and 1/28 being the scheduled Fridays.
· From Automotive News: Honda Motor Co. said it would recall about 1.35 million Fit subcompacts globally to repair defective wiring in the headlights. Subject to the recall are Fit cars built at Honda's Suzuka factory in Japan between November 2001 and October 2007. About 735,000 units will be recalled in Japan. Honda will also recall 143,000 Fits exported to the United States.
· From the Detroit Free Press: Chrysler is recalling 367,350 Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan minivans from the 2008 model year because water leaks could cause air bags to inflate inadvertently. Dealers can fix the problem by replacing a heating and cooling drain grommet, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which posted the recall on its Web site today.
· From Automotive News: General Motors Co.'s Saturn Ion is being investigated by U.S. auto-safety regulators following at least 633 complaints about sudden loss of power steering. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating about 384,000 Ions from model years 2004 to 2007, after reports of crashes involving injuries, the agency said today on its website. The agency said it received four reports of crashes involving the defect, one of which resulted in an injury. “Customers who have those vehicles have been notified,” said Alan Adler, a spokesman for GM. “And if they have loss of power-steering assist, they can go to dealers and have that repaired.”
From the International Union UAW: Here are some facts about the renegotiated U.S. Korea Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA):
Why does the UAW support the 2010 KORUS FTA now when it didn’t support the 2007 agreement?
The UAW believes the renegotiated 2010 agreement gives far better protection to our UAW members than the 2007 agreement because it will protect current American auto jobs and grow more American auto jobs. The KORUS FTA also includes labor and environmental commitments, as well as important enforcement mechanisms. We also believe that if we did not get actively engaged before the Republican majority took control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January, then the Republicans would have advocated for the 2007 Bush-negotiated agreement with NO safeguards for our members.
How does the 2010 agreement give UAW members more protection than the 2007 agreement?
· AUTO TARIFFS: The 2010 agreement delays implementation of the tariff reductions on autos. The 2007 agreement would have immediately eliminated U.S. tariffs on automobiles and most auto parts. The 2010 agreement keeps the 2.5 percent U.S. tariff in place until the fifth year after the FTA goes into effect.
· LIGHT TRUCK TARIFFS: The 2007 agreement would have required the United States to start reducing our 25 percent tariff on Korean pickups immediatelyand eliminated it by year 10 of the agreement. The 2010 agreement allows the United States to maintain the full 25 percent tariff until the eighth year and then phases it out by the tenth year.
Does the 2010 agreement open the Korean markets to our U.S.-made vehicles better than the 2007 agreement?
· LIGHT TRUCK TARIFFS: Korea is required to keep to its original commitment to eliminate its 10 percent tariff on U.S.-made trucks immediately.
· ELECTRIC CAR TARIFFS: The 2007 agreement would have eliminated tariffs on electric cars and plug-in hybrids by year 10. Under the 2010 agreement, Korea will immediately reduce its electric car tariffs from 8 percent to 4 percent, and will phase out their tariff by year five of the agreement.
· SAFETY STANDARDS: New in the 2010 agreement is a provision that allows for 25,000 U.S.-made vehicles per U.S. automaker to be imported into Korea provided they meet U.S. federal safety standards. In the past, Korean safety standards have been used as a way to prevent the export of U.S. vehicles to Korea. After reaching 25,000 U.S. vehicles, additional U.S. vehicles are allowed to be imported into Korea if they meet, or are modified to meet, the Korean safety standards.
· AUTOMOTIVE ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS: Also new under the 2010 agreement, all U.S. autos will be considered compliant with Korean environmental standards on fuel economy and emissions. This has also been a barrier to the export of American vehicles to Korea.
Is there a limit to the number of Korean cars that can be imported to the U.S.?
· SAFEGUARDS: The KORUS FTA has a first ever, auto specific safeguard provision to protect against “surges” of Korean vehicles that harm the domestic auto industry. The safeguard goes into effect when the tariff reductions begin. The UAW, the domestic auto companies or the U.S. government may initiate a case under the new provision by petitioning the International Trade Commission (ITC). The process is similar to the one the Steelworkers successfully used in the case involving Chinese tires. The remedy for a finding of injury is the “snapback” to the original tariff levels prior to implementation of the FTA.
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
State of the Union December 15, 2010
Dec. 15, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
There will be a Suggestion Fair Thursday, Dec. 16 in the cafeteria. It will run from first break through last break. There will be a free gift for everyone – badge required – and cake. There will also be drawings throughout the day.
The deadline to pick up a thermometer is Wednesday, Dec. 23. Call 2308 to make an appointment if you haven’t gotten one yet.
From Automotive News: GM and Ford canceled or shortened shifts at seven assembly plants because of weather-related road closings in Canada. At GM, the changes affect production of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain compact sport-utility vehicles, the Chevrolet Impala sedan and Camaro coupe, and the Cadillac CTS and STS models. The Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Lansing, Mich., which makes the CTS and STS, closed earlier today because of a parts shortage caused by highway closings in Canada, said Chris Lee, a GM spokesman. He declined to specify the part. Workers at GM's assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, were sent home early during the day shift and the late shift today was canceled, said Jason Easton, a spokesman. GM shortened shifts at its CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, starting Monday, he said. The CAMI facility makes the Equinox and Terrain, and the Oshawa plant makes the Impala and Camaro. GM also suspended output at a plant in Flint, Mich., that builds light- and heavy-duty pickup trucks because of a shortage of parts.
More Automotive News: An increasing number of new-car shoppers are staying away from Toyota showrooms because of the company's quality and safety problems, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates. The market research firm's 2010 Avoider Study, which was released today, found that 19 percent of new-vehicle shoppers surveyed said they avoided Toyota because of “bad reputation of manufacturer” -- a startling increase of 17 percentage points from a year ago. Fifteen percent of respondents cited a “bad experience with this manufacturer,” up 12 percentage points from 2009. And 15 percent said they were “concerned about the future of this vehicle brand,” up 11 points from 2009.
Nissan has announced pricing on the NV full-size van that will go on sale next year. The base model 1500 will go for $24,590 and come with a 4 liter V6 and 5-speed automatic transmission. The high-roof version will start at $27,990. (Chevy Express base model 1500 with 4.3 liter V6 is $24,860 + $980 destination). Here’s a comparison between the Express and the NV:
Chevy Express Nissan NV
135” and 155” wheelbase 146.1” only
Standard roof cargo height
55.25” 55.4” (high roof is 76.5”)
Cargo capacity short wheelbase
267.3 cu.ft. (316.8 – lwb) 220+ cu.ft. (300+ high roof)
Cargo width between wheelhouse
52.5” (75.5” total floor) 53.9” (70.3” total floor)
60/40 or slider cargo doors slider door only on passenger side
On passenger side – 60/40 door no cargo doors on driver side
On driver side
Engine choices: 4.3 V6, 4.8 V8 4.0 V6, 5.6 V8
5.3 V8, 6.0 V8, 6.6 V8 diesel
Nissan is not projecting any volumes yet for this vehicle. One analyst put the first year number at 25,000 units. Initially, there will be no passenger version of the NV. It will come in 1500, 2500 and 3500 versions and further down the road a smaller, Transit connect-sized version will be offered. There has been no mention of a cutaway model. Nissan has struck a deal with Adrian for tool-rack upfitting and intends to market the NV through some 300-400 Nissan dealers specifically chosen to sell and service the van. The main selling points for the van as Nissan sees it are the optional high roof models, which undercut Sprinter prices by several thousand dollars, and the pickup-like interior that is more business-oriented with fold down passenger seat backs and a larger center console suitable for laptops or letter size files. It also has cargo interior side-panels and square-top wheel wells, available navigation system and rear-view monitor.
There will be a Suggestion Fair Thursday, Dec. 16 in the cafeteria. It will run from first break through last break. There will be a free gift for everyone – badge required – and cake. There will also be drawings throughout the day.
The deadline to pick up a thermometer is Wednesday, Dec. 23. Call 2308 to make an appointment if you haven’t gotten one yet.
From Automotive News: GM and Ford canceled or shortened shifts at seven assembly plants because of weather-related road closings in Canada. At GM, the changes affect production of the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain compact sport-utility vehicles, the Chevrolet Impala sedan and Camaro coupe, and the Cadillac CTS and STS models. The Lansing Grand River assembly plant in Lansing, Mich., which makes the CTS and STS, closed earlier today because of a parts shortage caused by highway closings in Canada, said Chris Lee, a GM spokesman. He declined to specify the part. Workers at GM's assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, were sent home early during the day shift and the late shift today was canceled, said Jason Easton, a spokesman. GM shortened shifts at its CAMI assembly plant in Ingersoll, Ontario, starting Monday, he said. The CAMI facility makes the Equinox and Terrain, and the Oshawa plant makes the Impala and Camaro. GM also suspended output at a plant in Flint, Mich., that builds light- and heavy-duty pickup trucks because of a shortage of parts.
More Automotive News: An increasing number of new-car shoppers are staying away from Toyota showrooms because of the company's quality and safety problems, according to a study by J.D. Power and Associates. The market research firm's 2010 Avoider Study, which was released today, found that 19 percent of new-vehicle shoppers surveyed said they avoided Toyota because of “bad reputation of manufacturer” -- a startling increase of 17 percentage points from a year ago. Fifteen percent of respondents cited a “bad experience with this manufacturer,” up 12 percentage points from 2009. And 15 percent said they were “concerned about the future of this vehicle brand,” up 11 points from 2009.
Nissan has announced pricing on the NV full-size van that will go on sale next year. The base model 1500 will go for $24,590 and come with a 4 liter V6 and 5-speed automatic transmission. The high-roof version will start at $27,990. (Chevy Express base model 1500 with 4.3 liter V6 is $24,860 + $980 destination). Here’s a comparison between the Express and the NV:
Chevy Express Nissan NV
135” and 155” wheelbase 146.1” only
Standard roof cargo height
55.25” 55.4” (high roof is 76.5”)
Cargo capacity short wheelbase
267.3 cu.ft. (316.8 – lwb) 220+ cu.ft. (300+ high roof)
Cargo width between wheelhouse
52.5” (75.5” total floor) 53.9” (70.3” total floor)
60/40 or slider cargo doors slider door only on passenger side
On passenger side – 60/40 door no cargo doors on driver side
On driver side
Engine choices: 4.3 V6, 4.8 V8 4.0 V6, 5.6 V8
5.3 V8, 6.0 V8, 6.6 V8 diesel
Nissan is not projecting any volumes yet for this vehicle. One analyst put the first year number at 25,000 units. Initially, there will be no passenger version of the NV. It will come in 1500, 2500 and 3500 versions and further down the road a smaller, Transit connect-sized version will be offered. There has been no mention of a cutaway model. Nissan has struck a deal with Adrian for tool-rack upfitting and intends to market the NV through some 300-400 Nissan dealers specifically chosen to sell and service the van. The main selling points for the van as Nissan sees it are the optional high roof models, which undercut Sprinter prices by several thousand dollars, and the pickup-like interior that is more business-oriented with fold down passenger seat backs and a larger center console suitable for laptops or letter size files. It also has cargo interior side-panels and square-top wheel wells, available navigation system and rear-view monitor.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
State of the Union December 13, 2010
Dec. 13, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From the Detroit Free Press: The Chevrolet Silverado HD was been selected as the 2011 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, the publication announced this weekend. Chevrolet also earned the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year award for the Chevrolet Volt, the industry's first electric car with extended-range capability. It is the first time since 2006 that one brand has won both Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year awards in the same year. Chevrolet and Buick won both awards in 1979. The new 2011 Silverado HD built in Flint, Mich., and Fort Wayne, Ind., was introduced this summer, featuring new frame and suspension designs, and a more powerful Duramax diesel engine with 397 horsepower, 765 lb.-ft. of torque, and 11 percent better fuel-economy. As a result, the 2011 Silverado HD is capable of towing up to 21,700 pounds, or carrying 6,635 pounds of payload. The new Silverado HD also offers available confidence- and control-related features specifically for towing including electronic trailer sway control, hill start assist and smart exhaust brake system.
From Automotive News: Figure on a slow and steady recovery in U.S. auto sales next year -- a rise of about 10 percent, according to the consensus of analysts surveyed by Automotive News. But one outlier predicts a much bigger jump in 2011 and offers some compelling data to back it up. The consensus is for 2011 volume of 12.7 million sales, a 10 percent increase if this year ends at 11.5 million units. All but one of the seven analysts predicted a market of 12.5 to 12.9 million. But Morgan Stanley says consumer creditworthiness is improving so rapidly that lenders are about to loosen credit dramatically -- and that will rocket the market to 14 million units in 2011. "The catalyst is credit availability -- a bigger impediment to auto sales than tight inventories or low demand," says Ravi Shanker, Morgan Stanley's lead analyst for North America.
GM sold 196,990 vehicles in China last month, up 11 % over last year, as total sales topped the 2 million mark for the year. Analysts expect the Chinese market to total right around 18 million for the year, the highest ever for a country.( GM sold 168,739 vehicles in the US last month with year-to-date sales of 1,991,042)
From the Detroit Free Press: The Chevrolet Silverado HD was been selected as the 2011 Motor Trend Truck of the Year, the publication announced this weekend. Chevrolet also earned the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year award for the Chevrolet Volt, the industry's first electric car with extended-range capability. It is the first time since 2006 that one brand has won both Motor Trend Car and Truck of the Year awards in the same year. Chevrolet and Buick won both awards in 1979. The new 2011 Silverado HD built in Flint, Mich., and Fort Wayne, Ind., was introduced this summer, featuring new frame and suspension designs, and a more powerful Duramax diesel engine with 397 horsepower, 765 lb.-ft. of torque, and 11 percent better fuel-economy. As a result, the 2011 Silverado HD is capable of towing up to 21,700 pounds, or carrying 6,635 pounds of payload. The new Silverado HD also offers available confidence- and control-related features specifically for towing including electronic trailer sway control, hill start assist and smart exhaust brake system.
From Automotive News: Figure on a slow and steady recovery in U.S. auto sales next year -- a rise of about 10 percent, according to the consensus of analysts surveyed by Automotive News. But one outlier predicts a much bigger jump in 2011 and offers some compelling data to back it up. The consensus is for 2011 volume of 12.7 million sales, a 10 percent increase if this year ends at 11.5 million units. All but one of the seven analysts predicted a market of 12.5 to 12.9 million. But Morgan Stanley says consumer creditworthiness is improving so rapidly that lenders are about to loosen credit dramatically -- and that will rocket the market to 14 million units in 2011. "The catalyst is credit availability -- a bigger impediment to auto sales than tight inventories or low demand," says Ravi Shanker, Morgan Stanley's lead analyst for North America.
GM sold 196,990 vehicles in China last month, up 11 % over last year, as total sales topped the 2 million mark for the year. Analysts expect the Chinese market to total right around 18 million for the year, the highest ever for a country.( GM sold 168,739 vehicles in the US last month with year-to-date sales of 1,991,042)
Friday, December 10, 2010
State of the Union December 10, 2010
Dec. 10, 2010 www.uawlocal2250.com
Reminder: Tomorrow is the breakfast with Santa (9 am – 11 am) and the Christmas dance (7 pm – midnight) at the Union Hall. Also, today is the last day to buy raffle tickets from the Women’s Committee (drawing to be held at the dance).
The annual Pretrim bakesale is Monday, Dec. 13 at the team center at column T-45. You can bring baked goods by Monday morning if you wish to donate.
GM announced that the sub compact car to be built at Lake Orion will be named the Chevy Sonic. The car will go into production Aug. 1, 2011. Orion will also build the Buick Verano small car, based on the Chevy Cruze platform.
From Automotive News: Ford and Honda have vaulted past Mercedes-Benzto tie for the highest customer retention rate among automotive brands in the United States this year, according to a new study. The two mass-market brands retained 62 percent of buyers this year, J.D. Power and Associates said in its annual Customer Retention Study released today. Ford rose five spots from 56 percent in 2009 while Honda increased one spot from 64 percent last year. Mercedes fell five spots, from 66 percent in 2009 to 59 percent in 2010, J.D. Power said. (GM brands scored as follows: Chevrolet – 52%; Cadillac – 44%; GMC – 43%; Buick – 27%)
From Bloomberg News: A federal judge in California tentatively rejected Toyota Motor Corp.’s bid to dismiss lawsuits claiming deaths and personal injuries caused by unintended sudden acceleration of its vehicles. Lawyers for injured customers and families of those killed in accidents provided sufficient evidence to allow their cases to go forward, said U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, Calif., in a tentative ruling today. Selna earlier denied Toyota’s motion to dismiss class-action, or group suits claiming economic losses related to sudden acceleration. Toyota said in court filings that the plaintiffs didn’t offer specific allegations of an actual defect and that the company didn’t conceal anything. “Toyota demands a level of specificity that is not required at the pleadings stage,” Selna wrote in his tentative order. “The defect is identified: plaintiffs’ cars suddenly and unexpectedly accelerate and do not stop upon proper application of the brake pedal.” Selna said he wouldn’t dismiss fraud allegations against Toyota related to sudden unintended acceleration, or SUA. “Rather than disclosing the SUA defects to consumers, Toyota often blamed consumers for SUA-related problems,” he wrote.
Reminder: Tomorrow is the breakfast with Santa (9 am – 11 am) and the Christmas dance (7 pm – midnight) at the Union Hall. Also, today is the last day to buy raffle tickets from the Women’s Committee (drawing to be held at the dance).
The annual Pretrim bakesale is Monday, Dec. 13 at the team center at column T-45. You can bring baked goods by Monday morning if you wish to donate.
GM announced that the sub compact car to be built at Lake Orion will be named the Chevy Sonic. The car will go into production Aug. 1, 2011. Orion will also build the Buick Verano small car, based on the Chevy Cruze platform.
From Automotive News: Ford and Honda have vaulted past Mercedes-Benzto tie for the highest customer retention rate among automotive brands in the United States this year, according to a new study. The two mass-market brands retained 62 percent of buyers this year, J.D. Power and Associates said in its annual Customer Retention Study released today. Ford rose five spots from 56 percent in 2009 while Honda increased one spot from 64 percent last year. Mercedes fell five spots, from 66 percent in 2009 to 59 percent in 2010, J.D. Power said. (GM brands scored as follows: Chevrolet – 52%; Cadillac – 44%; GMC – 43%; Buick – 27%)
From Bloomberg News: A federal judge in California tentatively rejected Toyota Motor Corp.’s bid to dismiss lawsuits claiming deaths and personal injuries caused by unintended sudden acceleration of its vehicles. Lawyers for injured customers and families of those killed in accidents provided sufficient evidence to allow their cases to go forward, said U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, Calif., in a tentative ruling today. Selna earlier denied Toyota’s motion to dismiss class-action, or group suits claiming economic losses related to sudden acceleration. Toyota said in court filings that the plaintiffs didn’t offer specific allegations of an actual defect and that the company didn’t conceal anything. “Toyota demands a level of specificity that is not required at the pleadings stage,” Selna wrote in his tentative order. “The defect is identified: plaintiffs’ cars suddenly and unexpectedly accelerate and do not stop upon proper application of the brake pedal.” Selna said he wouldn’t dismiss fraud allegations against Toyota related to sudden unintended acceleration, or SUA. “Rather than disclosing the SUA defects to consumers, Toyota often blamed consumers for SUA-related problems,” he wrote.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
State of the Union December 8, 2010
Dec. 9, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Rumor control: Management presented a proposal at the Key 4 meeting for a shelf agreement to help secure a new product. The Shop Committee is reviewing this proposal. Nobody’s wages or seniority will be affected by this proposal.
Here is the monthly marketing report from Sales and Marketing Manager Andrew Reyntjes: We exceeded our Retail, Fleet and Total objectives for Savana and Express and overall came in at 127% of our corporate objective. In this respect it was a good month however, we lost 4.48% points of share from last month and are down 3.36 percentage points of share on a CYTD basis from last November. Ford is up 3.8 percentage points from last month and up 3.7 percentage points CYTD. We are going to need to wait a couple of months for Polk registration data to be available to see exactly where (Retail or Fleet) the market share went. It may have been a large Ford Fleet delivery or it may have been an issue with the fact that we had a late (model change) and at the beginning of the month had 70% of our Retail stock as 2010 models selling against Ford 2011 models. Our incentives were focused on this problem and did a good job in beginning to fix the 2010 : 2011 stock ratio. If we look at Retail Cargo models on a CYTD basis we have 49% share. For Cutaways we have 30% share and for Passenger models we have 37% share. We have an issue here in the fact that we make significantly more Retail CM (contribution margin) on a passenger vans yet out of the 3338 Chevrolet dealers there are only 620 on a dealer lot available for sale. We are presently developing plans to attack the passenger van part of the business. Our plans involve everything from grassroots customer promotions, adding appropriate content such as running boards, energizing the Chevrolet division and dealers and even some targeted incentives. We know from Polk SIC data that we are being beaten on sales to Mobility, Passenger Transport Arrangement, Charitable Organizations, Religious Organizations, Hospitals, Aged Care Facilities and Schools and Universities. We are also working through our Engineering organization to combat a white paper written by NHTSA over a decade ago that tested a competitive 15 passenger van that had a long rear overhang, lack of safety features and terrible stability and crash issues. While our van is superior in every way including stability, design and safety unfortunately all 15 passenger vans were tarred with the same brush. Many organizations still have policies based on this white-paper, many have trouble getting affordable insurance based on this out of date white-paper too. For the last several months we have been eagerly awaiting the outcome of discussions with our Engineering staff that manage the NHTSA relationship. I am sure that we can increase sales and perceptions if a revised white-paper or grading could be conducted on our van. We can make this work for us in our marketing and promotion plans next year. It is a big sales and CM opportunity.
The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) announced Tuesday a new training program that will help to align the local workforce with the needs of the growing green economy. The program is made possible by a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) grant received by the United Auto Workers – Labor Employment and Training Corporation (UAW-LETC) with support from the United Auto Workers Region 5, and a partnership between UAW-LETC, the State of Missouri, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and St. Louis Community College.
This program is a result of President Obama’s initiative to transition our country to sustainable energy, clean environment, and to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, a recent Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) report identified Energy Solutions as one of Missouri’s high-growth industries, with 700 businesses and 9,000 workers currently and employment growing at a rate of 54% (from 1995-2008) as opposed to 4% for the overall economy*. The state of Missouri has pledged to attract, develop and retain a workforce with the education and skills needed to succeed in a 21st-century economy. Training will be offered at no cost to eligible job seekers. They will be able to receive a Certification in the following occupations:
• Energy Technician
• Environmental Technician
• Green Manufacturing Process Technician
• Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technician
Classes will take place Monday through Thursday/Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 5 p.m. For a complete class schedule and location listing please visit their website at www.stlworks.com.
Who is eligible?
All adults age 18 or over are eligible. Candidates need a certain minimum level of academic achievement in order to qualify. To see all course requirements, visit www.stlworks.com. All candidates are required to enroll in the Missouri Career Center system and take a WIN assessment.
Rumor control: Management presented a proposal at the Key 4 meeting for a shelf agreement to help secure a new product. The Shop Committee is reviewing this proposal. Nobody’s wages or seniority will be affected by this proposal.
Here is the monthly marketing report from Sales and Marketing Manager Andrew Reyntjes: We exceeded our Retail, Fleet and Total objectives for Savana and Express and overall came in at 127% of our corporate objective. In this respect it was a good month however, we lost 4.48% points of share from last month and are down 3.36 percentage points of share on a CYTD basis from last November. Ford is up 3.8 percentage points from last month and up 3.7 percentage points CYTD. We are going to need to wait a couple of months for Polk registration data to be available to see exactly where (Retail or Fleet) the market share went. It may have been a large Ford Fleet delivery or it may have been an issue with the fact that we had a late (model change) and at the beginning of the month had 70% of our Retail stock as 2010 models selling against Ford 2011 models. Our incentives were focused on this problem and did a good job in beginning to fix the 2010 : 2011 stock ratio. If we look at Retail Cargo models on a CYTD basis we have 49% share. For Cutaways we have 30% share and for Passenger models we have 37% share. We have an issue here in the fact that we make significantly more Retail CM (contribution margin) on a passenger vans yet out of the 3338 Chevrolet dealers there are only 620 on a dealer lot available for sale. We are presently developing plans to attack the passenger van part of the business. Our plans involve everything from grassroots customer promotions, adding appropriate content such as running boards, energizing the Chevrolet division and dealers and even some targeted incentives. We know from Polk SIC data that we are being beaten on sales to Mobility, Passenger Transport Arrangement, Charitable Organizations, Religious Organizations, Hospitals, Aged Care Facilities and Schools and Universities. We are also working through our Engineering organization to combat a white paper written by NHTSA over a decade ago that tested a competitive 15 passenger van that had a long rear overhang, lack of safety features and terrible stability and crash issues. While our van is superior in every way including stability, design and safety unfortunately all 15 passenger vans were tarred with the same brush. Many organizations still have policies based on this white-paper, many have trouble getting affordable insurance based on this out of date white-paper too. For the last several months we have been eagerly awaiting the outcome of discussions with our Engineering staff that manage the NHTSA relationship. I am sure that we can increase sales and perceptions if a revised white-paper or grading could be conducted on our van. We can make this work for us in our marketing and promotion plans next year. It is a big sales and CM opportunity.
The St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment (SLATE) announced Tuesday a new training program that will help to align the local workforce with the needs of the growing green economy. The program is made possible by a U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) grant received by the United Auto Workers – Labor Employment and Training Corporation (UAW-LETC) with support from the United Auto Workers Region 5, and a partnership between UAW-LETC, the State of Missouri, St. Louis County, St. Charles County and St. Louis Community College.
This program is a result of President Obama’s initiative to transition our country to sustainable energy, clean environment, and to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Furthermore, a recent Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) report identified Energy Solutions as one of Missouri’s high-growth industries, with 700 businesses and 9,000 workers currently and employment growing at a rate of 54% (from 1995-2008) as opposed to 4% for the overall economy*. The state of Missouri has pledged to attract, develop and retain a workforce with the education and skills needed to succeed in a 21st-century economy. Training will be offered at no cost to eligible job seekers. They will be able to receive a Certification in the following occupations:
• Energy Technician
• Environmental Technician
• Green Manufacturing Process Technician
• Hybrid Electric Vehicle Technician
Classes will take place Monday through Thursday/Friday between 7:00 a.m. and 5 p.m. For a complete class schedule and location listing please visit their website at www.stlworks.com.
Who is eligible?
All adults age 18 or over are eligible. Candidates need a certain minimum level of academic achievement in order to qualify. To see all course requirements, visit www.stlworks.com. All candidates are required to enroll in the Missouri Career Center system and take a WIN assessment.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
State of the Union December 6, 2010
Dec. 6, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
The annual Pre-trim Holliday Bakesale will be held Monday, Dec. 13. The sale will be located at the team center at column T-45. Proceeds will go to the Adopt-A-Child program. Anyone wishing to donate baked goods is more than welcome to drop them off at the team center Monday morning.
The Women’s Committee is holding a Christmas raffle. First prize is the “Million Dollar Board” ($100 worth of lottery tickets). Second prize is a gift basket and third prize is a wine gift basket. Tickets are $1 a piece or 6 for $5 and can be bought from any Women’s Committee member. Tickets will also be sold at the Christmas dance this Saturday, and the drawing will be held at the dance.
There will be a holiday celebration Friday, Dec. 17 at Heroes Pub & Grill, Lake Saint Louis (south outer road). There will be food and drink specials until 10 pm with a 50/50 raffle and a liquor basket raffle. All proceeds go to Jeff Chunn’s family. For more info see Wendy, Kim or Kevin on the motor line or Steve @ seat install.
From the Wall Street Journal: Tata Motors Ltd. Friday said a plunge in the Nano minicar's sales--to 509 in November from a peak of 9,000 in July--is because of sales and financing infrastructure problems in small towns rather than safety concerns or production constraints. "The car is absolutely safe," Debasis Ray, a spokesman for Mumbai-based Tata Motors, told Dow Jones Newswires. "The decline in sales is not because of that [safety issues]. As far as we know, more than 85% of customers are happy with the car." But analysts don't completely agree. They say the drop is due more to safety worries after a few recent cases of the world's cheapest car catching fire were featured prominently in newspapers and on television. Tata Motors, which controls U.K.-based Jaguar and Land Rover, investigated the Nano fires and said in May that there aren't any manufacturing defects. It blamed the incidents on the installation of additional electrical equipment by customers or on some material getting stuck in the exhaust system. But on Nov. 10, the company said it will offer additional protection in the car's exhaust and electrical systems free of cost.
Today is the 69th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On the back is the entire text of the speech President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to Congress the next day:
Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.
Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces -- with the unbounding determination of our people -- we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.
The annual Pre-trim Holliday Bakesale will be held Monday, Dec. 13. The sale will be located at the team center at column T-45. Proceeds will go to the Adopt-A-Child program. Anyone wishing to donate baked goods is more than welcome to drop them off at the team center Monday morning.
The Women’s Committee is holding a Christmas raffle. First prize is the “Million Dollar Board” ($100 worth of lottery tickets). Second prize is a gift basket and third prize is a wine gift basket. Tickets are $1 a piece or 6 for $5 and can be bought from any Women’s Committee member. Tickets will also be sold at the Christmas dance this Saturday, and the drawing will be held at the dance.
There will be a holiday celebration Friday, Dec. 17 at Heroes Pub & Grill, Lake Saint Louis (south outer road). There will be food and drink specials until 10 pm with a 50/50 raffle and a liquor basket raffle. All proceeds go to Jeff Chunn’s family. For more info see Wendy, Kim or Kevin on the motor line or Steve @ seat install.
From the Wall Street Journal: Tata Motors Ltd. Friday said a plunge in the Nano minicar's sales--to 509 in November from a peak of 9,000 in July--is because of sales and financing infrastructure problems in small towns rather than safety concerns or production constraints. "The car is absolutely safe," Debasis Ray, a spokesman for Mumbai-based Tata Motors, told Dow Jones Newswires. "The decline in sales is not because of that [safety issues]. As far as we know, more than 85% of customers are happy with the car." But analysts don't completely agree. They say the drop is due more to safety worries after a few recent cases of the world's cheapest car catching fire were featured prominently in newspapers and on television. Tata Motors, which controls U.K.-based Jaguar and Land Rover, investigated the Nano fires and said in May that there aren't any manufacturing defects. It blamed the incidents on the installation of additional electrical equipment by customers or on some material getting stuck in the exhaust system. But on Nov. 10, the company said it will offer additional protection in the car's exhaust and electrical systems free of cost.
Today is the 69th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. On the back is the entire text of the speech President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave to Congress the next day:
Yesterday, Dec. 7, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.
The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with the government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.
Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleagues delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.
It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time, the Japanese government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.
The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.
Yesterday, the Japanese government also launched an attack against Malaya.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked Guam.
Last night, Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.
Last night, the Japanese attacked Wake Island.
This morning, the Japanese attacked Midway Island.
Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.
As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.
Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us.
No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.
I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.
Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.
With confidence in our armed forces -- with the unbounding determination of our people -- we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God.
I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, Dec. 7, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.
State of the Union December 8, 2010
Next Wednesday, Dec. 15, lunch will begin 15 minutes early to allow time for teams to have holiday parties.
The annual motorcycle ride for Adopt-A-Family for Christmas will be Saturday, Dec. 18. Riders will meet at Moudy’s Bar and Restaurant at 2151 West Terra Lane in O’Fallon, MO. – 10 am snow or shine!
On Sunday, Dec. 12, there will be a GM employee, family and friends discount event at the Shoe Carnival store at 2209 Highway K, O’Fallon, MO. Use your GM badge to get an extra 25% off from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
From Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. Transit Connect commercial vans refitted to run on electric power by Azure Dynamics have begun shipping to customers in North America and Britain, the companies said on Monday. The vans are assembled at AM General in Livonia in suburban Detroit. Currently a single shift produces about seven or eight electric Transit Connect vans per week, and more shifts will be added with rising demand, said Scott Staley, a chief engineer with Ford. Azure Dynamics plans to sell 600 to 1,000 of the commercial vans in 2011 and double that in 2012. The electric Transit Connect vans have a targeted range of 80 miles, or about 130 kilometers, on a full charge.
From Bloomberg News: General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, in advance of next year's labor contract negotiations, are exploring with the United Auto Workers changes that could give workers a bigger piece of growing profits. “We want to find the best possible bang for all of the employees, across the board, not a program that would pay some and not the others,” said General Holiefield, head of the UAW's Chrysler department. While formal negotiations haven't begun, union leaders and executives from the automakers have broached profit-sharing changes, said two people familiar with the efforts. High-level discussions began months ago because it was deemed a significant issue that would require more time, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. All of the companies have been “hinting” at profit- sharing changes, Holiefield said in an interview. It was “not just within Chrysler but the Big Three,” he said. “(UAW President) Bob King has got to get his arms around it.”
December event calendar on back;
December 2010
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Union Hall: Breakfast w/Santa 9-11 am
Xmas dance 7-midnight
12
Shoe Carnival -25% GM discount
6:30-9:30 pm; O’Fallon
13
Pre-trim
Bake sale - column T-45
14
15
Team parties at lunchtime
16
17
Chassis party – Maggie Malones. Wentzville
Holiday celebration -
Heroes, Lake St. Louis
18
Adopt-a-family bike ride – Moudy’s, O’Fallon 10 am
19
20
21 Winter Solstice
22
23
24
Holiday
25
Christmas
26
27
Holiday
28
Holiday
29
Holiday
30
Holiday
31
New Year's Eve
Holiday
The annual motorcycle ride for Adopt-A-Family for Christmas will be Saturday, Dec. 18. Riders will meet at Moudy’s Bar and Restaurant at 2151 West Terra Lane in O’Fallon, MO. – 10 am snow or shine!
On Sunday, Dec. 12, there will be a GM employee, family and friends discount event at the Shoe Carnival store at 2209 Highway K, O’Fallon, MO. Use your GM badge to get an extra 25% off from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm.
From Automotive News: Ford Motor Co. Transit Connect commercial vans refitted to run on electric power by Azure Dynamics have begun shipping to customers in North America and Britain, the companies said on Monday. The vans are assembled at AM General in Livonia in suburban Detroit. Currently a single shift produces about seven or eight electric Transit Connect vans per week, and more shifts will be added with rising demand, said Scott Staley, a chief engineer with Ford. Azure Dynamics plans to sell 600 to 1,000 of the commercial vans in 2011 and double that in 2012. The electric Transit Connect vans have a targeted range of 80 miles, or about 130 kilometers, on a full charge.
From Bloomberg News: General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler Group LLC, in advance of next year's labor contract negotiations, are exploring with the United Auto Workers changes that could give workers a bigger piece of growing profits. “We want to find the best possible bang for all of the employees, across the board, not a program that would pay some and not the others,” said General Holiefield, head of the UAW's Chrysler department. While formal negotiations haven't begun, union leaders and executives from the automakers have broached profit-sharing changes, said two people familiar with the efforts. High-level discussions began months ago because it was deemed a significant issue that would require more time, said one of the people, who asked not to be identified because the talks were private. All of the companies have been “hinting” at profit- sharing changes, Holiefield said in an interview. It was “not just within Chrysler but the Big Three,” he said. “(UAW President) Bob King has got to get his arms around it.”
December event calendar on back;
December 2010
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Union Hall: Breakfast w/Santa 9-11 am
Xmas dance 7-midnight
12
Shoe Carnival -25% GM discount
6:30-9:30 pm; O’Fallon
13
Pre-trim
Bake sale - column T-45
14
15
Team parties at lunchtime
16
17
Chassis party – Maggie Malones. Wentzville
Holiday celebration -
Heroes, Lake St. Louis
18
Adopt-a-family bike ride – Moudy’s, O’Fallon 10 am
19
20
21 Winter Solstice
22
23
24
Holiday
25
Christmas
26
27
Holiday
28
Holiday
29
Holiday
30
Holiday
31
New Year's Eve
Holiday
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
State of the Union December 7, 2010
Dec. 6, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Rumor control: The Park Avenue in the main lobby and the red, white and blue van parked a the main entrance has been taken to a museum in Michigan for display. The plan for the van display is to rotate various models throughout the year.
The Education Committee will be having a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Union Hall 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time. The Committee is looking for a secretary so if you are interested please plan on attending.
Field supplies of the van rose slightly once again in November. Total stock stood at 22,516 up less than 200 from October. However passenger van supplies went down. Net field stock is 14,253, good for a 75 day supply and up about 400 from October.
Adopt-A-Child names have all been taken. Collections will be taken up on the floor throughout the next week and a half and the deadline for donations of gifts or cash will be Friday, Dec. 17. Thanks for your generosity!
From the Detroit Free Press: The UAW today said it supports the rights of workers who are on strike in Korea against Hyundai and said it plans to hold a rally for those workers on Monday near Ann Arbor. Hyundai’s temporary and contract workers — known in Korea as Precarious workers — have been on strike since Nov. 15 and have shut down production at a plant. According to the UAW, over one-fifth of Hyundai workers are hired on a temporary basis, often by false subcontractors, and receive lower pay and benefits than those employed directly by Hyundai. “Precarious workers should be treated in the same manner and have the full rights of regular Hyundai workers,” UAW President Bob King said in a statement. “The UAW and our sister unions around the globe will be standing with these workers until Hyundai stops the violence and repression of these workers and recognizes them as regular Hyundai workers.”
From Automotive News: American Honda Motor Co. will kill the Element -- a quirky, boxy crossover designed to attract young buyers -- following seven straight years of declining U.S. sales. Annual U.S. sales peaked at 67,478 in 2003, the Element's first full year on the market, then hovered in the mid-50,000 range through 2006. Last year they dropped to 14,884, and this year's volume through November is down 4 percent in a U.S. market that's up 11 percent.
Rumor control: The Park Avenue in the main lobby and the red, white and blue van parked a the main entrance has been taken to a museum in Michigan for display. The plan for the van display is to rotate various models throughout the year.
The Education Committee will be having a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Union Hall 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time. The Committee is looking for a secretary so if you are interested please plan on attending.
Field supplies of the van rose slightly once again in November. Total stock stood at 22,516 up less than 200 from October. However passenger van supplies went down. Net field stock is 14,253, good for a 75 day supply and up about 400 from October.
Adopt-A-Child names have all been taken. Collections will be taken up on the floor throughout the next week and a half and the deadline for donations of gifts or cash will be Friday, Dec. 17. Thanks for your generosity!
From the Detroit Free Press: The UAW today said it supports the rights of workers who are on strike in Korea against Hyundai and said it plans to hold a rally for those workers on Monday near Ann Arbor. Hyundai’s temporary and contract workers — known in Korea as Precarious workers — have been on strike since Nov. 15 and have shut down production at a plant. According to the UAW, over one-fifth of Hyundai workers are hired on a temporary basis, often by false subcontractors, and receive lower pay and benefits than those employed directly by Hyundai. “Precarious workers should be treated in the same manner and have the full rights of regular Hyundai workers,” UAW President Bob King said in a statement. “The UAW and our sister unions around the globe will be standing with these workers until Hyundai stops the violence and repression of these workers and recognizes them as regular Hyundai workers.”
From Automotive News: American Honda Motor Co. will kill the Element -- a quirky, boxy crossover designed to attract young buyers -- following seven straight years of declining U.S. sales. Annual U.S. sales peaked at 67,478 in 2003, the Element's first full year on the market, then hovered in the mid-50,000 range through 2006. Last year they dropped to 14,884, and this year's volume through November is down 4 percent in a U.S. market that's up 11 percent.
Friday, December 3, 2010
State of the Union December 2, 2010
Dec. 2, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Santa Claus is coming to Wentzville: Saturday Dec. 11 from 9 am – 11 am there will be a breakfast with Santa at the Union Hall. Donuts, juice and coffee will be served so bring your children and grandchildren and don’t forget your camera.
Here are the sales numbers for the van segment from November:
2010 2009 Change Share
Ford 8026 4705 +70.6% 55.1%
GM 5709 4705 +27.5% 39.2%
Merc. Sprinter 829 --- --- 5.7%
Ford Transit 2773 1165 +138%
From the Detroit News: Ford Motor Co. led Detroit's Big Three in double-digit sales jumps in November, posting a 24 percent spike in new vehicle sales over the same month a year ago. Chrysler Group LLC was right behind the Dearborn automaker, with its sales up 17 percent. Crosstown rival General Motors Co. saw its November sales rise 11.4 percent, thanks to sales of new crossovers — the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX . Among foreign automakers, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. also reported double-digit growth for U.S. auto sales in November. Only Toyota Motor Corp. posted a decline for the month, with sales sinking 3.2 percent from a year ago, as the automaker continues to struggle with last year's image-damaging recall. "Without new product to compete with and stripped of its bullet-proof quality reputation, Toyota is forced to sell on the deal," said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. Meanwhile, sales for Detroit's Big Three appear to be stabilizing after enduring nearly two years of economy turmoil. "Sales are up in many segments," said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Karl Brauer. "It's still not a blistering hot market, but it looks like the spring thaw is starting — early," Brauer added.
From the Jackson Clarion Ledger: Activity is picking up around the Blue Springs plant that will build the Toyota Corolla starting next fall, company officials said.Toyota continues to hire workers, and essential equipment should arrive later this month. As of Tuesday, 177 workers had been hired in various divisions at the plant, said David Copenhaver, vice president of administration for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi. The company hasn't announced a specific start date. With the plant expected to employ about 1,000 people initially and 2,000 once fully operational, many jobs have not been filled. As of Monday afternoon, 23,223 applications had been filled out for Toyota jobs, said LaRaye Brown, spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Toyota employees will start at $15 an hour and in five years reach $21 an hour, she said.
Automaker Nov. 2010 Nov. 2009 Pct. chng. 11 month
2010 11 month
2009 Pct. chng.
BMW Group* 22,909 18,030 27% 238,443 218,138 9%
Chrysler Group LLC 74,152 63,560 17% 984,509 844,879 17%
Daimler AG** 19,259 17,462 10% 208,946 184,294 13%
Ford Motor Co.*** 146,956 122,846 20% 1,773,868 1,493,533 19%
General Motors**** 168,670 150,676 12% 1,987,552 1,864,211 7%
Honda (American)† 89,617 74,003 21% 1,100,864 1,043,641 6%
Hyundai Group†† 67,324 46,002 46% 819,250 680,282 20%
Jaguar Land Rover 4,039 3,319 22% 40,329 33,420 21%
Maserati 166 100 66% 1,717 1,158 48%
Mazda 15,304 14,255 7% 208,087 189,512 10%
Mitsubishi 4,306 2,925 47% 50,809 49,631 2%
Nissan††† 71,366 56,288 27% 814,840 696,699 17%
Porsche 2,416 1,626 49% 22,753 17,578 29%
Saab Cars North America‡ 397 - -% 3,763 - -%
Subaru 20,792 16,988 22% 237,126 193,578 23%
Suzuki 2,332 1,540 51% 21,347 36,811 -42%
Toyota‡‡ 129,317 133,700 -3% 1,586,107 1,582,287 0%
Volkswagen‡‡‡ 29,713 23,191 28% 325,279 267,955 21%
Volvo Cars North America‡‡‡‡ 4,078 - -% 16,667 - -%
Other (estimate) 294 308 -5% 3,234 3,372 -4%
TOTAL 873,407 746,819 17% 10,445,490 9,401,144 11%
Santa Claus is coming to Wentzville: Saturday Dec. 11 from 9 am – 11 am there will be a breakfast with Santa at the Union Hall. Donuts, juice and coffee will be served so bring your children and grandchildren and don’t forget your camera.
Here are the sales numbers for the van segment from November:
2010 2009 Change Share
Ford 8026 4705 +70.6% 55.1%
GM 5709 4705 +27.5% 39.2%
Merc. Sprinter 829 --- --- 5.7%
Ford Transit 2773 1165 +138%
From the Detroit News: Ford Motor Co. led Detroit's Big Three in double-digit sales jumps in November, posting a 24 percent spike in new vehicle sales over the same month a year ago. Chrysler Group LLC was right behind the Dearborn automaker, with its sales up 17 percent. Crosstown rival General Motors Co. saw its November sales rise 11.4 percent, thanks to sales of new crossovers — the Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain and Cadillac SRX . Among foreign automakers, Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. also reported double-digit growth for U.S. auto sales in November. Only Toyota Motor Corp. posted a decline for the month, with sales sinking 3.2 percent from a year ago, as the automaker continues to struggle with last year's image-damaging recall. "Without new product to compete with and stripped of its bullet-proof quality reputation, Toyota is forced to sell on the deal," said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. Meanwhile, sales for Detroit's Big Three appear to be stabilizing after enduring nearly two years of economy turmoil. "Sales are up in many segments," said Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Karl Brauer. "It's still not a blistering hot market, but it looks like the spring thaw is starting — early," Brauer added.
From the Jackson Clarion Ledger: Activity is picking up around the Blue Springs plant that will build the Toyota Corolla starting next fall, company officials said.Toyota continues to hire workers, and essential equipment should arrive later this month. As of Tuesday, 177 workers had been hired in various divisions at the plant, said David Copenhaver, vice president of administration for Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi. The company hasn't announced a specific start date. With the plant expected to employ about 1,000 people initially and 2,000 once fully operational, many jobs have not been filled. As of Monday afternoon, 23,223 applications had been filled out for Toyota jobs, said LaRaye Brown, spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. Toyota employees will start at $15 an hour and in five years reach $21 an hour, she said.
Automaker Nov. 2010 Nov. 2009 Pct. chng. 11 month
2010 11 month
2009 Pct. chng.
BMW Group* 22,909 18,030 27% 238,443 218,138 9%
Chrysler Group LLC 74,152 63,560 17% 984,509 844,879 17%
Daimler AG** 19,259 17,462 10% 208,946 184,294 13%
Ford Motor Co.*** 146,956 122,846 20% 1,773,868 1,493,533 19%
General Motors**** 168,670 150,676 12% 1,987,552 1,864,211 7%
Honda (American)† 89,617 74,003 21% 1,100,864 1,043,641 6%
Hyundai Group†† 67,324 46,002 46% 819,250 680,282 20%
Jaguar Land Rover 4,039 3,319 22% 40,329 33,420 21%
Maserati 166 100 66% 1,717 1,158 48%
Mazda 15,304 14,255 7% 208,087 189,512 10%
Mitsubishi 4,306 2,925 47% 50,809 49,631 2%
Nissan††† 71,366 56,288 27% 814,840 696,699 17%
Porsche 2,416 1,626 49% 22,753 17,578 29%
Saab Cars North America‡ 397 - -% 3,763 - -%
Subaru 20,792 16,988 22% 237,126 193,578 23%
Suzuki 2,332 1,540 51% 21,347 36,811 -42%
Toyota‡‡ 129,317 133,700 -3% 1,586,107 1,582,287 0%
Volkswagen‡‡‡ 29,713 23,191 28% 325,279 267,955 21%
Volvo Cars North America‡‡‡‡ 4,078 - -% 16,667 - -%
Other (estimate) 294 308 -5% 3,234 3,372 -4%
TOTAL 873,407 746,819 17% 10,445,490 9,401,144 11%
State of the Union December 3, 2010
Dec. 3, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Reminder: The deadline for submitting essays for the Martin Luther King scholarship contest is Monday, Dec. 6 as entries must be postmarked by then or received in plant mail no later than Dec. 7. So this is the last weekend to get those essays composed.
The Education Committee will be having a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Union Hall 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time. The Committee is looking for a secretary so if you are interested please plan on attending.
In addition to the visit from Santa, the annual Christmas dance will be Saturday, Dec. 11 at the Union Hall. Doors open at 7 pm and live music will run from 8 pm to midnight (the band is Max Thrust). Snacks, beer and set-ups will be provided. Come on out for this holiday celebration with your Union brothers and sisters.
The annual chassis Christmas party will be Friday, Dec. 17 after work at Maggie Malone’s, 990 Wentzville Parkway. Everyone is welcome. There will be free eats, drink specials and everyone will get a ticket for door prizes. If you have any questions see Sue Picou @ column F-44.
General Motors Co. said yesterday that it has made a $4 billion cash payment to its pension plans. The company said in October that it would pay $6 billion to the plans, with $4 billion in cash and $2 billion worth of common stock. GM says Thursday's payment went to the U.S. pension plans. The automaker put $1.3 billion into the salaried plan and $2.7 billion into the hourly plan. At the end of last year the U.S. pension funds were $17.1 billion short of their obligations. Their value will be measured again at the end of this year. GM Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell says the payments bring the company closer to fully funding its pensions and having minimal debt. About 688,000 people get benefits from GM's U.S. pension plans.
From the Detroit Free Press: U.S. automotive industry sales could top 17 million by 2015, Michael Robinet, director of global production forecasts for researcher IHS Automotive, said today. He expects sales will exceed 12.8 million next year and 16 million in 2013 before reaching 17 million in 2015. "We are pretty confident... We looked at where this market could go in terms of the number of new drivers coming into the market and the number of older vehicles that could be replaced," Robinet said. Over the next 10 years, the U.S. driving population is expected to increase by an annual average of 9%, or by 25 million, according to IHS Automotive.
Here are some questions and answers about our health care coverage:
Q. Can I add my 19 to 26 (through the month they turn age 26) year old son/daughter to my medical coverage? Are there eligibility requirements?
A. Yes, if you are hourly active employee, you may enroll either your or you current spouses’ children by birth or adoption. Adult dependent children enrolled in the medical plan no longer need to meet requirements related to: IRS dependency, residency, student status or marital status. No, you cannot enroll your adult dependent children if you are an hourly retiree, Retiree-Only Plans are exempt from the Health Care Reform.
Q. I am a hourly active employee, how long can an eligible dependent remain under my medical coverage?
A. Through the end of the month in which they turn age 26. If their birthday is October 15 (when they turn age 26), then their coverage will end October 31.
Q. Is my 25 year old dependent eligible for dental and/or vision coverage?
A. No, dental and/or vision coverage eligibility requirements for hourly actives remain unchanged. Coverage through the year they turn age 19 or age 24 if full time student at least one semester in a calendar year. Full time student documentation will be required. More information will be communicated early in 2011.
Q. How will health care reform impact preventive services and medications?
A. There will be no impact to the preventive services and medications under the hourly active and retiree plans. Currently, all hourly active plans are grandfathered and the hourly retiree plans are exempt from health care reform changes.
Q. I am a UAW active regular employee, are my prescription drug co-pays changing?
A. Yes, your prescription drug co-pays are changing for some categories. For retail (up to a 30 day supply), they will be $6 for generic medications, $12 for brand medications, and $17 for erectile dysfunction medications. For mail order (up to a 90 day supply), they are $12 for generic medications, $17 for brand medications, and $21 for erectile dysfunction medications.
Q. Are UAW Entry Level and Components Holding hourly employees eligible for dental benefits?
A. Yes. Entry Level and Components Holding hourly employees are eligible for dental benefits upon attaining 3 years of service under the GM Hourly Health Care Program.
Q. Are there any changes to my vision coverage in 2011?
A. No, there are no changes to the vision plan in 2011.
Q. Is my vision carrier changing in 2011?
A. If you are UAW or IUE represented, DavisVision will remain the carrier in 2011. If you are represented by a union that is not UAW or IUE, your carrier will change in 2011 to DavisVision. For more information about DavisVision, they can be contacted at 888-672-8393. Enrollees with a carrier change will receive a mailing in mid-December with more information regarding the DavisVision network.
Q. Are UAW Entry Level and Components Holding hourly employees eligible for vision benefits?
A. Yes. Under the GM Hourly Health Care Program, Entry Level and Components Holding hourly employees are eligible for a vision exam upon attaining 3 years of service and full vision benefits upon attaining 5 years of service.
Reminder: The deadline for submitting essays for the Martin Luther King scholarship contest is Monday, Dec. 6 as entries must be postmarked by then or received in plant mail no later than Dec. 7. So this is the last weekend to get those essays composed.
The Education Committee will be having a meeting Tuesday, Dec. 7 at the Union Hall 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time. The Committee is looking for a secretary so if you are interested please plan on attending.
In addition to the visit from Santa, the annual Christmas dance will be Saturday, Dec. 11 at the Union Hall. Doors open at 7 pm and live music will run from 8 pm to midnight (the band is Max Thrust). Snacks, beer and set-ups will be provided. Come on out for this holiday celebration with your Union brothers and sisters.
The annual chassis Christmas party will be Friday, Dec. 17 after work at Maggie Malone’s, 990 Wentzville Parkway. Everyone is welcome. There will be free eats, drink specials and everyone will get a ticket for door prizes. If you have any questions see Sue Picou @ column F-44.
General Motors Co. said yesterday that it has made a $4 billion cash payment to its pension plans. The company said in October that it would pay $6 billion to the plans, with $4 billion in cash and $2 billion worth of common stock. GM says Thursday's payment went to the U.S. pension plans. The automaker put $1.3 billion into the salaried plan and $2.7 billion into the hourly plan. At the end of last year the U.S. pension funds were $17.1 billion short of their obligations. Their value will be measured again at the end of this year. GM Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell says the payments bring the company closer to fully funding its pensions and having minimal debt. About 688,000 people get benefits from GM's U.S. pension plans.
From the Detroit Free Press: U.S. automotive industry sales could top 17 million by 2015, Michael Robinet, director of global production forecasts for researcher IHS Automotive, said today. He expects sales will exceed 12.8 million next year and 16 million in 2013 before reaching 17 million in 2015. "We are pretty confident... We looked at where this market could go in terms of the number of new drivers coming into the market and the number of older vehicles that could be replaced," Robinet said. Over the next 10 years, the U.S. driving population is expected to increase by an annual average of 9%, or by 25 million, according to IHS Automotive.
Here are some questions and answers about our health care coverage:
Q. Can I add my 19 to 26 (through the month they turn age 26) year old son/daughter to my medical coverage? Are there eligibility requirements?
A. Yes, if you are hourly active employee, you may enroll either your or you current spouses’ children by birth or adoption. Adult dependent children enrolled in the medical plan no longer need to meet requirements related to: IRS dependency, residency, student status or marital status. No, you cannot enroll your adult dependent children if you are an hourly retiree, Retiree-Only Plans are exempt from the Health Care Reform.
Q. I am a hourly active employee, how long can an eligible dependent remain under my medical coverage?
A. Through the end of the month in which they turn age 26. If their birthday is October 15 (when they turn age 26), then their coverage will end October 31.
Q. Is my 25 year old dependent eligible for dental and/or vision coverage?
A. No, dental and/or vision coverage eligibility requirements for hourly actives remain unchanged. Coverage through the year they turn age 19 or age 24 if full time student at least one semester in a calendar year. Full time student documentation will be required. More information will be communicated early in 2011.
Q. How will health care reform impact preventive services and medications?
A. There will be no impact to the preventive services and medications under the hourly active and retiree plans. Currently, all hourly active plans are grandfathered and the hourly retiree plans are exempt from health care reform changes.
Q. I am a UAW active regular employee, are my prescription drug co-pays changing?
A. Yes, your prescription drug co-pays are changing for some categories. For retail (up to a 30 day supply), they will be $6 for generic medications, $12 for brand medications, and $17 for erectile dysfunction medications. For mail order (up to a 90 day supply), they are $12 for generic medications, $17 for brand medications, and $21 for erectile dysfunction medications.
Q. Are UAW Entry Level and Components Holding hourly employees eligible for dental benefits?
A. Yes. Entry Level and Components Holding hourly employees are eligible for dental benefits upon attaining 3 years of service under the GM Hourly Health Care Program.
Q. Are there any changes to my vision coverage in 2011?
A. No, there are no changes to the vision plan in 2011.
Q. Is my vision carrier changing in 2011?
A. If you are UAW or IUE represented, DavisVision will remain the carrier in 2011. If you are represented by a union that is not UAW or IUE, your carrier will change in 2011 to DavisVision. For more information about DavisVision, they can be contacted at 888-672-8393. Enrollees with a carrier change will receive a mailing in mid-December with more information regarding the DavisVision network.
Q. Are UAW Entry Level and Components Holding hourly employees eligible for vision benefits?
A. Yes. Under the GM Hourly Health Care Program, Entry Level and Components Holding hourly employees are eligible for a vision exam upon attaining 3 years of service and full vision benefits upon attaining 5 years of service.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
State of the Union December 1, 2010
Dec. 1, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Rumor control: There have been a lot of questions regarding December’s schedule. The tentative schedule is 10-hours off of the K-line Monday through Thursday with three Fridays being 8 hours. There was an order of 1000 units but by rearranging the schedule, the impact will be in January and not this month.
Reminder: There will be a Veterans Committee meeting today at the Union Hall 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time.
November sales numbers are coming in. GM was up 11.4% over last November, with the four core brands up 21%. Van sales came in at 5709 units, up 27.5% over last year. More to come tomorrow.
From Automotive News: Toyota Motor Corp. the automaker that recalled more than 8 million vehicles related to unintended acceleration problems, must face class-action lawsuits filed by car owners claiming economic losses, a U.S. judge ruled. The car owners' lawyers provided sufficient evidence to allow their cases to go forward, U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, California, said Tuesday, making final a tentative ruling issued Nov. 19. Toyota sought dismissal of the suits, contending the plaintiffs failed to plead specific losses or identify an actual defect. “It is true that plaintiffs do not generally allege the precise dollar value of their losses, but that level of specificity is not required at the pleadings state,” Selna said in Tuesday's ruling. “The court is convinced that a safety consideration as fundamental as whether a car is able to stop when the brakes are applied is material to consumers.”
More Automotive News: CEO Dan Akerson says the carmaker is studying how it could double or triple production of the new Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid should sales demand accelerate. About 240,000 potential buyers have expressed an interest in the vehicle, but production in 2011 will be just 10,000 units. GM plans to build 45,000 Volts in calendar year 2012. Speaking on the sidelines of the official Volt launch ceremony today at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, GM North America President Mark Reuss said that Volt production is constrained largely by vendor production of battery cells needed for the battery packs that GM assembles in suburban Detroit for the Volt. Frank Moultrie, shop chairman of UAW Local 22 representing 960 hourly workers at Detroit-Hamtramck, said there are no immediate plans to add a second shift at the plant. The plant builds the Volt and the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne sedans. The DTS and Lucerne end in 2010.
You may not be aware that the GM Motor Club is available to you and in most cases offers better coverage for less money than AAA. Below is some information about the price structure. You can go to www.gmmotorclub.com for more details and sign up instructions.
Rumor control: There have been a lot of questions regarding December’s schedule. The tentative schedule is 10-hours off of the K-line Monday through Thursday with three Fridays being 8 hours. There was an order of 1000 units but by rearranging the schedule, the impact will be in January and not this month.
Reminder: There will be a Veterans Committee meeting today at the Union Hall 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time.
November sales numbers are coming in. GM was up 11.4% over last November, with the four core brands up 21%. Van sales came in at 5709 units, up 27.5% over last year. More to come tomorrow.
From Automotive News: Toyota Motor Corp. the automaker that recalled more than 8 million vehicles related to unintended acceleration problems, must face class-action lawsuits filed by car owners claiming economic losses, a U.S. judge ruled. The car owners' lawyers provided sufficient evidence to allow their cases to go forward, U.S. District Judge James V. Selna in Santa Ana, California, said Tuesday, making final a tentative ruling issued Nov. 19. Toyota sought dismissal of the suits, contending the plaintiffs failed to plead specific losses or identify an actual defect. “It is true that plaintiffs do not generally allege the precise dollar value of their losses, but that level of specificity is not required at the pleadings state,” Selna said in Tuesday's ruling. “The court is convinced that a safety consideration as fundamental as whether a car is able to stop when the brakes are applied is material to consumers.”
More Automotive News: CEO Dan Akerson says the carmaker is studying how it could double or triple production of the new Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid should sales demand accelerate. About 240,000 potential buyers have expressed an interest in the vehicle, but production in 2011 will be just 10,000 units. GM plans to build 45,000 Volts in calendar year 2012. Speaking on the sidelines of the official Volt launch ceremony today at GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, GM North America President Mark Reuss said that Volt production is constrained largely by vendor production of battery cells needed for the battery packs that GM assembles in suburban Detroit for the Volt. Frank Moultrie, shop chairman of UAW Local 22 representing 960 hourly workers at Detroit-Hamtramck, said there are no immediate plans to add a second shift at the plant. The plant builds the Volt and the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne sedans. The DTS and Lucerne end in 2010.
You may not be aware that the GM Motor Club is available to you and in most cases offers better coverage for less money than AAA. Below is some information about the price structure. You can go to www.gmmotorclub.com for more details and sign up instructions.
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