Monday, December 19, 2011

State of the Union December 19-21, 2011

State of the Union December 19- December 21, 2012

Dec. 19, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com


The Civil Rights Committee is holding a raffle to raise funds for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship program. First prize is a 40” LCD television, 2nd prize is an HP tablet computer and 3rd prize is a $100 gift card. Tickets are $10 apiece or 3 for $25 and are available from any committee member. Drawing will be Thursday, Dec. 22.

Here is this week’s build information: 52 E-26 vans; 472 slider doors; 1014 cutaways; 147 15-pass vans; 24.2% 07 loop; 128 r/h door deletes; 88 diesels; 200 Onstar; 25 brake deck spare tire; 144 exports; 399 Enterprise rent-a-car; 280 U-Haul; 75 Penske; 35 Budget; 86.3% white vans.

Through Friday Dec. 23rd, starting at 6:00 P.M., workers will be resurfacing the “A” aisle from Column 15 (Central Shop) to Col. 67. We anticipate completing 4-8 Column Bays a night. Therefore each night there will be a section of A aisle that traffic will not be allowed on from 6:00 P.M. until 5:00 A.M. After 5:00 A.M. normal traffic may resume.

The Lordstown assembly plant resumed output of the Chevy Cruze last night. Production has been suspended since Dec. 12 because of a supplier parts issue. GM hasn't released other details about the part or identified the supplier, describing it as a "consumer satisfaction" issue with the part, according to Buick spokesman Nick Richards

From Automotive Business Review: General Motors will invest $68 million at its assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, to build the next generation of the Chevrolet Impala. The automaker said that the move will retain about 350 jobs at the Canadian assembly plant. In August this year the company said it would invest about $117m in preparing the plant to produce the Cadillac and that it expected the new line to create or retain 750 jobs at the plant. The company said that in order to meet customer demand and maximize the flexibility of its manufacturing operations, the Impala will be built at both Oshawa and the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plants. Last year, the Oshawa plant has launched production of the Buick Regal, Chevrolet Camaro Convertible and Chevrolet Equinox, adding two shifts and securing 1,300 jobs. The Oshawa facility employs more than 4,400 people, who build the Chevrolet Camaro and current version of the Impala.

CNN Money website compiled a “Most disliked cars of the year” list, and it seems to be the most anti-Consumers Reports list of all time. It is chocked full of export brand vehicles and only one domestic – the Chevy Volt, which earned CR’s award for highest customer satisfaction. Here are the winners (losers?) in ascending order: Fiat 500, Chevy Volt, Jaguar XF, Lexus HS 250h (also had the biggest year over year sales decline of 73%), Honda Insight, the entire Infiniti Division, BMW 550i GT, Honda Ridgeline, Nissan Cube, Nissan Murano Cross Cabriolet (convertible SUV) and the most disliked car…..wait for it……the Honda Civic, which is being fastracked as we speak for a mid-cycle redesign following Chairman Ito’s personal apology for its execution.

Speaking of dubious quality foreign cars, the Detroit Free Press reports that Nissan is recalling nearly 34,000 Sentra compact cars because of a battery cable problem that could cause the engines to stall. Documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say that a zinc coating on the cable bolts could be too thick. That can cause a voltage drop that can damage the engine control computer. The documents say the cars can stall while moving and it may not be possible to restart them, increasing the risk of a crash. Nissan also is recalling more than 28,000 Juke small crossover SUVs from the 2011 model year. A turbocharger bracket problem can cause engine stalling.

From Bloomberg: Automakers led by General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC may need to boost incentives or cut production to reduce inventories that have risen to a 31-month high, according to a Bloomberg analysis. U.S. auto sales may total 12.7 million this year, the best annual performance since 2008, Bloomberg estimates. Sales may increase to 13.5 million in 2012, rising for a third consecutive year from a 27-year low of 10.4 million cars and light trucks in 2009. GM is poised to retake leadership in global auto sales, which it ceded to Toyota in 2008. The automaker has reported 6.79 million sales through September of this year, leading disaster-stricken Toyota by 1 million vehicles. Volkswagen AG has jumped to second with 6.17 million vehicles sold through the first nine months, expanding faster than it had forecast.

As it stands now, here is the startup plan for Wednesday, Jan. 4:
o 14 Build Blocks – the first 3 will be 15 minutes, the next 11 will be 20 minutes with the exception of one 30 minutes block
o Production number is Max 50
o 6:00 – 6:30 Team Meeting
o 6:30 Begin Build Blocks
o 1stshift normal breaks and lunch
o 2ndshift starts @ 12:00 p.m. – Both Shifts Team Meeting
o 12:00 – 12:30 Team Meeting
o 2:00 G/L, S/L Escalation Meeting
o 2:30 GA S/L Meeting
o 4:30 2nd shift lunch
o 5:12 1st Shift Ends
o 7:20 Team Meeting
o 11:12 2nd Shift Ends

December 20, 2011

Dec. 20, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

Any FMLA applications picked up before Thursday need to be returned to labor relations after they have been completed by you and your doctor.
The Civil Rights committee is also selling T-shirts and sweatshirts in the cafeteria now until they are sold out. You can also buy your raffle tickets there - First prize is a 40” LCD television, 2nd prize is an HP tablet computer and 3rd prize is a $100 gift card. Tickets are $10 apiece or 3 for $25 and are available from any committee member. Drawing will be Thursday, Dec. 22.
•    Urgent: Noah’s Ark Academy is offering child care services for 2ndshift workers but they need a commitment for 15-20 children to maintain their child/staff ratios and put everything in place. However, for a Jan. 3 start, they need a paid registration of $65 by this Friday, Dec. 23. They have said that they can definitely accommodate the volume of new GM families given enough time to plan. The facility is located at 411 West Pearce Blvd in Wentzville. You can call 636-887-2773 for more information and if you are relocating you can contact Michelle via e-mail: michelle@noahsarkacademy.org. Apologies for the short notice.

Here is the startup schedule for Thursday, Jan. 5:
o 15 Build Blocks 45 minutes each consisting of 15 minutes controlled stop and 30 minutes run time. There will be 3 day shift blocks and 2 night shift that have 40 minutes run time.
o Production number is Max 100
o 6:00 – 6:30 Team Meeting
o 6:30 Begin Build Blocks
o 1stshift normal breaks and lunch
o 2ndshift starts @ 12:00 p.m. – Both Shifts Team Meeting
o 12:00 – 12:30 Team Meeting – line is down from 11:45 to 1:20
o 2:00 G/L S/L Escalation Meeting
o 2:30 GA S/L Meeting
o 4:30 2nd shift lunch
o 5:06 1st Shift Ends
o 7:20 Team Meeting
o 11:06 2nd Shift Ends


To: Temporary Employee


UNEMPLOYMENT INFORMATION
FOR TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES

You are being laid-off effect Friday, 12/23/11 with a recall date of Tuesday, January 3, 2012. The following information and instructions are needed to file for Missouri Unemployment.

Unemployment Information
During the Week of: Action to be done:

Week of 12/26/2011(12/26 to 12/30) You must call the state of Missouri to open your claim

Week of 1/3/2012 (1/3 to 1/6) Contact the state to claim the previous week



Last day worked is 12/22/11

Unemployment Information
Claiming unemployment is a two-step process. You must contact the state to activate your unemployment claim during the week of 12/26/11. You will still need to file for your weekly benefits after your claim has been activated, in Missouri. The claim week runs from Sunday through Saturday. The week must be claimed after the Saturday week ending date. Weekly claims can be filed on the Internet at www.moclaim.comor by telephone at 314-340-4950 (if that is a local call for you) or 800-320-2519. The Internet is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The telephone lines are available for weekly claim filing 24 hours a day from 1:00 p.m. on Sundays until 5:00 p.m. on Fridays, except for holiday weeks.

Additional Information

•The state of Missouri will no longer back date claims – you must call at the appropriate time(s).
•You need to keep your address and telephone number up to date on mygm.gm.com.

•If you do any work during the week, you must report the gross amount of any wages on your claim for the week. It is very important that all wages be reported accurately on weekly claims. Wages are to be reported during the week in which the work is performed. This includes wages from other work performed during the week you are claiming.



December 21, 2011

•Tomorrow, Dec. 22, is a holiday pay qualifying day and a VR blackout day, with the first 2 days of holiday pay at risk. Tuesday, Jan. 3 is also a holiday pay qualifying day and a VR blackout day, with the last 2 days of holiday pay at risk. Paychecks for the pay period ending Dec. 25 will be mailed Tuesday, Dec. 27 and dated Friday, Dec. 30.

•Tomorrow the lunch break will run from 10:30 am until 11:20 am to provide extra time for team dinners.

•Team leader applications can be submitted year round. There is currently one opening for team leader in Chassis which closes tomorrow.

•We have been told that the jackets should arrive here Jan. 3. When they are delivered we will communicate the distribution plan.

•The Cafeteria hours for Wednesday, Jan. 4 and Thursday, Jan. 5 will be 5:30 am – 8 am; 10 am – 12 noon; and 2 pm – 5:30 pm. The following week when 2nd shift start goes to 5:30 pm the hours will be 7 pm – 8:30 pm and 9:30 pm – 11 pm. (Day shift hours will remain the same)

•From the Community Services Committee: Thanks to everyone who adopted a child or donated money this year. We were able to give 110 children a Christmas they would not have had otherwise. The delivery of gifts was finished yesterday and you need to know that there were many grateful parents who got quite emotional as a result of your generosity. This truly is one of the best programs we participate in and you should feel good about brightening the Holiday season for some of the less fortunate members of the community.

•Here is the production schedule for January: The first week is Tuesday through Thursday, 10.7, 10.7 and 10.6. The second week is Monday through Thursday, 10 hours. The third week is Tuesday through Thursday, 10.7, 10.7 and 10.6. The fourth week is Monday through Friday, 10 hours.

•There have been some questions about when SUB pay kicks in for entry level workers. Per the National Agreement, Employees must have “had at least 1 year of seniority as of the Employee’s last day worked prior to the qualifying layoff.”

•From the Chaplaincy Committee: We would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

State of the Union December 15, 2011

Dec. 15, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

•    Reminder: There will be a meeting at the Union Hall today after first shift for members who transferred from Indianapolis and Messena. Remember to bring copies of the transfer paperwork you signed when you came to Wentzville.
•    The Red Cross blood drive will be tomorrow beginning at 9:30 am in the tour holding room. If you signed up to donate you should have been told when you are scheduled to give blood. If you haven’t you should see your group leader.
•    Last week the QNPM Spare Parts Team (Ken Phillips and Don Elam of the UAW and Marcus Sims and Jeanne Henderson of GM) performed an analysis of Wentzville’s spare parts operation. The team came away very impressed with the work done here and said that Wentzville is the company benchmark in many aspects of spare parts. Here are some of the analysis highlights:
o The 2008-10 time period shows a $790,000 average decrease in spare parts spending compared to the 2004-06 time frame.
o Spare parts storage area has been reduced by 16,620 square feet while storage locations have increased from 87 to 105 indicating quicker/easier access to parts throughout the plant with a smaller footprint
o Identified potential savings in the next 2 years of $677,883
o Excellent job of storing and labeling spare parts as well as creating a database so the location of parts could be found on any computer in the plant, saving time and inventory expense.
•    Wentzville Assembly received recognition from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for achieving the Energy Star Challenge for Industry, which recognizes plants that achieve a 10% reduction in energy intensity within 5 years. In fact, our reduction was 22.49%! All the little things like turning off TV’s, lights, computers etc. have added up to make a big difference.
•    Everyone should be receiving a letter in the mail regarding the changes to FMLA this week. These changes will be effective Jan. 3, 2012. On back is the flow chart explaining the new process. If you have any questions prior to Jan. 3 you should contact Labor Relations.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

State of the Union December 14, 2011

Dec. 14, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

•    From Chairman Mike Bullock: There will be a special meeting for the Indianapolis and Messena transfers at the Union Hall this Thursday after first shift. Remember to bring copies of the transfer paperwork you signed when you came to Wentzville. Also, the changes that were negotiated in the National Agreement concerning the termination of mailing paychecks/paystubs will not take place until next fall. I know some of you were under the impression that these changes would be effective in January but that is not the case.
•    Team meetings are being suspended for the rest of the year. This will allow an extra 20 minutes to be added to next Thursday’s lunch period for team dinners and the remainder will be used to make up lost production (currently -111 for the month).
•    Reminder: All presents for the Adopt-A-Child program must be dropped off by the end of first shift this Friday, Dec. 16. You can drop them off at the Communications office next to the tour holding room or see Wanda Richard or Tina Hayes.
•    The annual Chassis Christmas Party will be this Friday, Dec. 16 after first shift at Maggie Malones (990 Wentzville Parkway in Wentzville). There will be raffles, prizes, free food and drink specials – you can get happy hour prices all night with your Union card or GM id. Everyone is welcome so come join the fun. For more info you can contact Sue Picou at column F-43.
•    From Reuters: General Motors Co suspended production on Monday afternoon at an Ohio plant that makes the Chevrolet Cruze compact car due to a supplier issue. Production at the Lordstown, Ohio, factory was halted around 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT). Workers on the first and second shifts worked shortened schedules, while the third shift was suspended, GM Lordstown spokesman Tom Mock said. GM spokesman Chris Lee declined to describe the nature of the supplier issue, saying only that the No. 1 U.S. automaker was looking to restart production as swiftly as possible. So far this year, the Cruze is the second-best-selling small car in the U.S. auto market and the 10th-best-selling vehicle overall as consumers seek more fuel efficient options.
•    From Wards Auto: Expect competition at the lower end of the U.S. passenger-car market to boil over next year, as revitalized Asian auto makers put the heat on a newly assertive General Motors and Ford in the compact segment. Just how aggressive pricing in the segment will become likely hinges on the fortunes of the Chevrolet Cruze and how desperate both domestic and Asian auto makers are to regain share. Through November, the new-for-’11 Cruze sedan led the small-car segment with a 10.1% share on deliveries of 215,057 units, according to WardsAuto data. But the Cruze’s share of the segment was down 8.1% from its 12.8% peak in July, as Toyota and Honda continued to rebuild inventories. Despite a scheduled down week, “There has not been a hint about eliminating a shift,” says Jim Graham, president of United Auto Workers union Local 1112 in Lordstown. “The (Cruze) is selling extremely well and we expect that to continue, regardless of what Ford, Toyota and Honda might do,” he tells WardsAuto. GM spokesman Jim Cain says the auto maker intends to maintain a stable production pace for the Cruze, calling it “a successful product that has established itself quickly.”
•    The startup plan for the first week of January for the addition of the second shift has been finalized. The plan is based on “build blocks”, which are blocks of time with standard activities. These blocks will run 30 minutes for Tuesday, Jan. 3 and Wednesday, Jan. 4 and will be 45 minutes Thursday, Jan. 5. We will cover each day’s schedule in this newsletter. Here is the schedule for Tuesday, Jan. 3:
•    13 Build Blocks 30 Minutes Each
o Production number will be based on the build – Max 25
o 6:00 – 8:00
    20 minute Team Meeting
    G/L visits each team
    T/L and T/M review Safety No Blip Pre Work Section
    Plan for UATs
•    8:20 - Begin Build Blocks
o First 10 minutes - line will run normally
    Use Andon
o Next 20 Minutes - Conveyors will turn off automatically
    Team Focus
    Review the jobs just built
    Training, Rundowns, Correct Parts, Electrical Connections, etc.
    Complete UATs
    Check for Mutilations
•    Breaks and Lunch at Normal Times
•    1:20 Team Meeting
•    2:30 G/L, S/L Escalation Meeting
•    3:00 GA S/L Daily Meeting
•    5:12 Shift Ends 10.7

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

State of the Union December 12, 2011

Dec. 12, 2011 online at
www.uawlocal2250.com

From Chairman Mike Bullock: Brothers and Sisters transferred here from Indianapolis or Massena – Bedford, Indiana is within Indianapolis’ “Area Hire/Former Community” transfer options. Tonawanda may be within Massena’s “Area Hire/Former Community”. You had the option of accepting the new “Modified Enhanced Relocation” package, the basic package or the enhanced package. I am trying to resolve “package issues” with the Corporation. There will be a special meeting at the Union Hall soon and we’ll let you know when it will be scheduled. We will need copies of the transfer paperwork you signed when you came to Wentzville when you contact us.

Here is this week’s build information: 24 E-26 vans; 815 cutaways; 209 slider doors; 128 15-pass vans; 22.4% 07 loop; 114 r/h door deletes; 130 exports; 116 diesels; 186 Onstar; 73 brake deck spare tire; 285 U-Haul; 269 Enterprise rent-a-car; 54 Penske; 86.3% white vans.

Reminder: All presents for the Adopt-A-Child program need to be turned in by Friday, Dec. 16. See Wanda Richard or Tina Hayes if you have any questions.

Due to high demand, the uniform store will be open daily from 8 am to 4 pm effective now through Thursday, Dec. 22.

Here are the winners of the Women’s Committee raffle: Million dollar board – Bob Greer; Scarves – Cleo Allen; Avon basket – Chas Wellman; Candle basket – Jon Dougherty. Thanks to everyone for their continued support.

The Ecotec 2.0L turbo I-4 engine that powers the all-new 2012 Buick Regal GS is one of WardsAuto World’s 2012 "10 Best Engines" for North America. The Ecotec 2.0L turbo’s 270 horsepower is the highest specific output of any GM production engine, and at 135 hp per liter, is the most power-dense engine certified by the Society of Automotive Engineers. "The turbocharged Ecotec 2.0L belongs on the list this year because it makes an outrageous 135 hp per liter in the Regal GS, and it’s a blast to drive," said WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter. "This engine delivers a level of power and sophistication that redefines Buick." The Regal GS achieves 0-60 mph in less than 6.7 seconds and runs the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 98 mph. Ward’s reviewed 35 engines from 15 automakers in this year’s competition. Winners were chosen based on several factors, including power; noise, vibration and harshness; fuel efficiency; new technology; and comparative data for similar engines.
This year’s winners and the applications tested:

o 3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi A6)
o 2.0L N20 Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (BMW Z4/528i)
o 3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW 335i coupe)
o 3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6 (Chrysler 300S/Jeep Wrangler)
o 2.0L EcoBoost DOHC I-4 (Ford Edge)
o 5.0L DOHC V-8 (Ford Mustang Boss 302)
o 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Buick Regal GS)
o 1.6L DOHC I-4 (Hyundai Accent/Kia Soul)
o 2.0L Skyactiv DOHC I-4 (Mazda3)
o 3.5L DOHC V-6 HEV (Infiniti M35h)

From Automotive News: Hyundai Motor's vice chairman said it would be difficult for the UAW to unionize workers at the South Korean automaker's plant in the United States. Hyundai factory workers in Alabama do not see the need to join the UAW because Hyundai gives them stable jobs, said Yoon Yeo-cheol, who is in charge of Hyundai's labor relations. "It will not be easy (for UAW to unionize Hyundai workers). Hyundai employees there don't like it," he told reporters in Seoul. Hyundai's plant in Montgomery, Ala., employs more than 2,500 people and produces the Elantra and Sonata sedans. Hyundai's South Korean sister company Kia Motors also has an assembly plant in West Point, Ga. UAW President Bob King has said he wants to target a Japanese, South Korean or German automaker with U.S. plants in its campaign to unionize workers at plants of non-U.S. automakers. The UAW protested at more than 80 Hyundai dealerships in the United States last week in support of a South Korean woman who filed a sexual harassment claim against one of the automaker's suppliers. "This has nothing to do with the domestic organizing campaign," Michele Martin, a UAW spokeswoman, said at the time. "Hyundai is not the target." The UAW earlier this week said it had changed plans and decided it would not pick a specific company to organize in the United States.

From the Detroit News: The last Ford Ranger for the U.S. market is expected to roll off the line by Dec. 19, marking the end of an era, with more than 6.6 million sold over 29 years. There are an estimated 800,000 Rangers still on the road. Drivers of the compact pickup acknowledge their solidarity by waving to one another. With the end of production and closing of the 86-year-old Twin Cities Assembly Plant in Minnesota, Ford Motor Co. will be out of the compact pickup business in North America. Meanwhile, crosstown rival General Motors Co. prepares to launch the next generation of the compact Colorado in 2013. And Chrysler Group LLC is working on a compact unibody pickup to replace the discontinued Dodge Dakota. At a time when automakers are introducing ever-smaller cars to meet fuel-efficiency regulations, Ford is killing its smallest truck and directing consumers to the full-size F-150 with a more efficient V-6 engine.Ford's rationale is that there is little price bump — less than $5,000 — to the larger F-150, and dwindling sales of the Ranger did not warrant making and selling the next-generation model in the U.S.

"It leaves a sweet spot wide open for GM for buyers who want a domestic smaller pickup," said analyst Dave Sullivan of Auto Pacific Inc. The Auto Pacific 2011 Brand Study showed 19 percent of Ranger owners would buy another compact pickup, so they would have to defect to the competition.

Monday, December 12, 2011

State of the Union December 8, 2011

Dec. 8, 2011 online at uawlocal2250.com
From Chairman Mike Bullock: Today will be the last day for 12 hour maximum line time to make up lost production due to the body shop breakdown on Monday. While there will still be some production to be made up, there will be no line times longer than 11 hours to make up this lost production.

Message from Joe Ashton and Cathy Clegg: As you know, during the 2011 Contract Negotiations, we agreed to a quality performance payout if we achieved our target for model year to date IPTV (Incidents per Thousand Vehicles) performance. We are pleased to report that our team achieved 98 percent performance, earning each eligible UAW-GM team member a bonus of $250, which will be in your December 16th check. The UAW-GM Team has always been known for building outstanding quality. Whether it is for stampings, power trains, components, service parts or vehicles, quality and customer service is at the heart of what we do every day in our operations. This year, our team has made outstanding progress. We have launched several successful vehicles, announced many product allocations, upgraded our manufacturing plants and created thousands of jobs. By the end of the year, we will also have all our team members back at work and begin bringing on new employees. Much of our success is due to the high quality we provide our customers. Congratulations and thanks again for your efforts. (Per the National Agreement: The eligibility date for this bonus was November 15. Eligible employees are defined as those with active seniority; on temporary layoff status; on leave pursuant to Family and Medical Leave Act; on one of the following leaves of absence which has not exceeded (90) days as of the eligibility date – Informal, Formal, Sickness and Accident, Military, and Educational)

Reminder: Tomorrow is the deadline to submit an employee referral. The phone number for logon ID or password reset help is 1-888-337-2400 (Opt 1-1-GMIN).

You are cordially invited to the UAW Local 2250 Christmas celebration to be held on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Union Hall. Doors open at 6:30 pm and dinner is served at 7 pm. Snacks, beer and setups will be provided. Music, provided by Marlon “DJ” Brown, will run from 8 pm to midnight. Also on Dec. 10, Santa Claus will be coming to the Union Hall from 9 am to 11 am. Donuts, juice and coffee will be served. Bring your children and grandchildren and don’t forget your camera.

Contact Congress now! Today is National Call-In to Renew Unemployment Insurance Day! UAW members, tell your members of Congress to renew Unemployment Insurance for 2012. Call (888) 245-3381 or visit the unemployedworkers.orgcall-in feature on this page. Millions of hardworking Americans — nearly 2 million in January alone, and over 6 million in 2012 — will be cut off from the emergency lifeline of federal unemployment insurance, unless Congress acts to renew the program before it expires Dec. 31. In the past three years, federal unemployment insurance has helped more than 17 million Americans while they’ve looked for work in the toughest job market since the Great Depression. Recent U.S. Census Bureau figures show that federal unemployment insurance helped keep more than 3 million from falling into poverty last year alone. Congress has never allowed these programs to expire when unemployment was anywhere near this high for this long. Congress must act, and act now.

From the Detroit News: Ford Motor Co. wants to grow its lucrative commercial truck business as it shifts customers to a new line of vehicles. Ford is hoping E-Series (Econoline van) customers will seamlessly shift to a future version of the Ford Transit commercial van that will be built at the automaker's Kansas City plant and go on sale in 2013. Ford is investing more than $1 billion in the Kansas City plant to prepare for the Transit, add a stamping plant and add a second shift of F-Series production. The Transit will be 25 percent more fuel-efficient than a comparable E-Series in part because it will be more than 300 pounds lighter, said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's head of global product development. The move is in keeping with a sustainability plan Ford announced in 2006 that called for weight reduction of 250 to 750 pounds in all vehicles by 2020. The current Transit is built in Europe and sold everywhere but North America. About a dozen Transits are in the U.S. for a year of testing by fleet customers. The feedback will help ensure the next-generation Transit is a strong replacement for the E-Series, said Eric Guenther, general marketing manager for the Ford fleet. Even though the new Transit switches from body-on-frame to unibody construction, Ford is determined that durability will not be sacrificed, Kuzak said. For commercial customers, reliability and cost of ownership are paramount. Sullivan said Nissan's research before launching the NV commercial van found customers wanted body-on-frame on rough American roads. Like the E-Series it replaces, the Transit for North America will be rear-wheel drive. Big numbers are at stake. Ford has sold about 6 million Transits globally to date. Another 8 million E-Series have been sold since 1961, and 97 percent were to the commercial market, said Rod Stevens, commercial truck chief engineer. Ford is also investing $128 million to make its largest commercial vehicles at the Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake. The E-Series will be discontinued, but Ford will continue to make E-Series "cutaways" that are converted to motorhomes, U-Hauls and other service vehicles. The plant also will take over medium truck and motorhome chassis work that was being done in Mexico.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

State of the Union December 5, 2011

State of the Union Dec. 5, 2011 nline at www.uawlocal2250.com
The phone number for logon ID or password reset help is 1-888-337-2400 (Opt 1-1-GMIN). The deadline for referral submissions is Friday, Dec.9.

We have been informed that a letter regarding this year’s Quality Bonus will be forthcoming this week from National Labor Relations. As soon as it is received it will be communicated.

From Benefits: We recently received a communication from the UAW/GM Department. It said: The SUB changes are nearly complete and the 74% flat rate table will be implemented the week starting Dec. 12; Entry level life insurance increases went into effect on Oct. 3rd. Traditional changes will not take effect until March 1, 2012 and active members beyond age 65 will have life insurance maximums restored; Under dental insurance, new covered benefits began Oct. 3; All health care changes go into effect on Jan. 1st; Until the hearing aid network starts up (Audionet) you cannot take advantage of two hearing aids. If you have any questions regarding any of these items, contact your benefits.

You are cordially invited to the UAW Local 2250 Christmas celebration to be held on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Union Hall. Doors open at 6:30 pm and dinner is served at 7 pm. Snacks, beer and setups will be provided. Music, provided by Marlon “DJ” Brown, will run from 8 pm to midnight. Also on Dec. 10, Santa Claus will be coming to the Union Hall from 9 am to 11 am. Donuts, juice and coffee will be served. Bring your children and grandchildren and don’t forget your camera.

Safety Reminder: As we all know, there have been a lot of transfers and new employees in the plant and that puts people in unfamiliar areas. So be extra careful when moving around the plant and stick to the pedestrian aisles. Make eye contact with any mobile equipment drivers and “wait for the wave”.

The plant has a new direct run rate target of 83.4. The target has dropped because two elements have been added into the calculations – front end alignment and headlight aim. The target will rise to 85 eventually.

From Community Services: Starting tomorrow and running for the rest of the week, people will be collecting money in General Assembly for Adopt-A-Child. All of the names have been taken so this money will be used to level the gifts for each child. As always, thanks for your generosity.

The startup plan for the first week of January for the addition of the second shift has been finalized. The plan is based on “build blocks”, which are blocks of time with standard activities. These blocks will run 30 minutes for Tuesday, Jan. 3 and Wednesday, Jan. 4 and will be 45 minutes Thursday, Jan. 5. Here is the schedule for Tuesday, Jan. 3:

13 Build Blocks 30 Minutes Each
- Production number will be based on the build – Max 25
- 6:00 – 8:00
- 20 minute Team Meeting
- G/L visits each team
- T/L and T/M review Safety No Blip Pre Work Section
- Plan for UATs
- 8:20 - Begin Build Blocks
- First 10 minutes - line will run normally
- Use Andon
- Next 20 Minutes - Conveyors will turn off automatically
- Team Focus
- Review the jobs just built
- Training, Rundowns, Correct Parts, Electrical Connections, etc.
- Complete UATs
- Check for Mutilations
- Breaks and Lunch at Normal Times
- 1:20 Team Meeting
- 2:30 G/L, S/L Escalation Meeting
- 3:00 GA S/L Daily Meeting
- 5:12 Shift Ends 10.7
Wednesday will run the same as Tuesday except the line will run for 15 minutes and be down for 15 minutes.

Here is the schedule for Thursday:
o 14 Build Blocks 45 Minutes Each
o Production number is Max 100
o 6:00 – 6:30 Team Meeting
o 6:30 Begin Build Blocks
o 1st shift normal breaks and lunch
o 12:00 – 12:30 Team Meeting
o 2nd shift starts @ 12:00 p.m. – Both Shifts Team Meeting
o 2:00 G/L S/L Escalation Meeting
o 2:30 GA S/L Meeting
o 4:30 2nd shift lunch
o 5:06 1st Shift Ends
o 7:20 Team Meeting
o 11:06 2nd Shift Ends

Friday, December 2, 2011

State of the Union December 2, 2011

Dec. 2, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifFrom Chairman Mike Bullock: All temporary employees will be made permanent effective Monday, Dec. 5. We have completed the national hire process (the last 18 will start Monday along with 53 new hires) and we will be hiring the rest of the second shift employees from the pool of referrals who passed all the tests and Delphi employees, who will be offered jobs here on a 1-for-1 basis with new hires per the National Agreement. So far the acceptance rate on the Delphi offers has been very low so we expect to do a lot of hiring which is why the referral system was reopened.
Regarding two items from yesterday’s State of the Union:
o The wage and benefit information applies only to entry level employees hired after the effective date of the agreement.
o The phone number for logon ID or password reset help should have been 1-888-337-2400 (Opt 1-1-GMIN). Apologies for the confusion.

We have been informed that a letter regarding this year’s Quality Bonus will be forthcoming next week from National Labor Relations. As soon as it is received it will be communicated.

Safety Reminder: As we all know, there have been a lot of transfers and new employees in the plant and that puts people in unfamiliar areas. So be extra careful when moving around the plant and stick to the pedestrian aisles. Make eye contact with any mobile equipment drivers and “wait for the wave”.
•    Here are the November sales results in the van segment (percentage changes are based on daily sales rates – there was one more sales day this year):

2011 2010 Change Share
Ford Econoline 7795 8026 -6.8% 48.1%
GM 6119 5709 +2.9% 37.8%
Nissan NV 1238 --- --- 7.6%
Mercedes Sprinter 1045 829 21% 6.5%
Ford Transit connect 2717 2773 -5.9%

Field supplies were up 1660 units for a 62 day supply. Chevy passenger vans are down to 14 days with a total passenger van supply (including GMC) of only 711. Chevy cargo vans are at 50 days and cutaway stocks are up nearly 1000 units.

From Automotive News: Freight railroads won new labor agreements with two unions, averting a strike in the holiday shipping season, after U.S. lawmakers said they were prepared to intervene in the dispute. The Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and the American Train Dispatchers Association, representing 26,500 workers, reached tentative accords, the National Railway Labor Conference, a Washington-based group that bargains on behalf of railroads, said in an e-mailed statement last night. Winning the contract agreements ended the threat of a walkout that could have occurred as soon as Dec. 6, the Association of American Railroads trade group said in a statement. Another union, the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees, extended a "cooling off" period to Feb. 8. The agreements call for raises of more than 20 percent over six years, A. Kenneth Gradia, a labor conference official, said in the group's statement. Ten unions have tentative deals and two have ratified agreements. The maintenance-employees group said this week it plans to bargain into February. It speaks for 25,100 workers who build and maintain tracks, according to the labor conference.

From Bloomberg: Honda widened its biggest recall to fix flaws related to airbags in models including the Civic and Accord produced as long as a decade ago. The recall covers an additional 917,267 vehicles worldwide, said spokesman Keitaro Yamamoto. That brings the total to more than 2.77 million, the company's biggest recall for an individual flaw, he said. More than 90 percent of the affected vehicles are in the United States. "Affected driver's airbag inflators may deploy with too much pressure, which can cause the inflator casing to rupture and could result in injury or fatality," the company said in a statement. The models include the 2001 and 2002 Accord, the 2001 to 2003 Civic, the 2001 to 2003 Odyssey, the 2002 and 2003 CR-V, the 2003 Pilot, the 2002 and 2003 Acura 3.2 TL and the 2003 Acura 3.2 CL vehicles, according to the statement. Honda recalled more than 300,000 Pilot SUVs in September for seat-belt stitching that could unravel during a crash. The latest move is a blow to Honda, the only large carmaker to report a sales decline in the U.S. last month.

The 2012 Buick LaCrosse eAssist spends just 14 days on dealer lots nationally before being sold, and the mileage-boosting light-electrification technology moves quickly in all regions, including import-leaning California. Steven Radomski is one of those Golden State converts. A former Toyota Prius hybrid owner, Radomski commutes 100 miles a day, 95 percent on the highway where the LaCrosse’s EPA-estimated 36 mpg impressed him most. In mixed driving, he averages 30 mpg – between the EPA-estimated 25 mpg city and the highway estimate. Radomski said his list of wants and needs – comfort, space and highway fuel efficiency – are all met by the LaCrosse eAssist. “For the space in this car, 30 mpg is amazing,” Radomski said. “I could have bought one of the new diesels on the market, but the fuel costs more,” to say nothing of expensive fuel additives required to lower diesel emissions. “When you do the math, it’s an obvious choice. And my LaCrosse is working as advertised.”

Thursday, December 1, 2011

State of the Union December 1, 2011

Dec. 1, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

From the Civil Rights Committee: The deadline for submitting essays for the Martin Luther King scholarship awards is being extended one week. Therefore, all entries must be postmarked by next Thursday, Dec. 8 to be eligible.

Now that the referral window is open again, questions are coming in about entry level wages and benefits. The starting wage is $15.78 and will go up to $19.28 after 48 months of service. Health care coverage begins in the 8th month after becoming permanent and will feature unlimited office visits with a $25 co-pay, free annual wellness physicals, and no emergency room or urgent care center co-pays. Dental and vision coverage begins after 3 years. GM will contribute 4% of their earnings into a PSP and $1 an hour up to 40 hours a week (begins after 90 days). Entry level workers with 1-3 years seniority will qualify for 13 weeks of SUB, which at the starting wage will be around $470 a week. They will also qualify for up to $5000 tuition assistance for degree related courses and up to $2200 for job related courses work.

Due to the heavy volume of uniform requests, beginning Monday, Dec. 12 through Thursday, Dec. 22, the uniform store will be open Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4 pm.

General Motors Co. today reported total sales of 180,402 vehicles in November, up 7 percent compared with November 2010. Retail deliveries were up 15 percent compared with the same month a year ago and accounted for 77 percent of GM sales. Deliveries to fleets were down 14 percent. “We are seeing a broad spectrum of customers return to the market,” said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations. “Truck sales showed a very solid increase, as we expected, but the momentum building behind our most fuel-efficient vehicles was even stronger.” In November, combined sales of GM small and compact cars, led by the new Chevrolet Sonic and consistently strong-selling Chevrolet Cruze, were up 54 percent compared with a year ago. GM’s total passenger car sales increased 1 percent, crossover sales decreased 9 percent and sales of trucks, which include full-size pickups, vans and SUVs, increased 25 percent. Highlights for the month include a 34-percent increase in Chevrolet Silverado sales and a 22-percent increase in GMC Sierra sales. Other vehicles posting double-digit sales increases were the Chevrolet Cruze, Camaro, Avalanche, Colorado, Suburban, Tahoe and Express van, the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and the Cadillac SRX. Total van sales came in at 6119, up 7.2% over last November.

If you can’t remember your log on ID or need to reset your password to access the employee referral system you can call 1-800-337-2400 (Opt 1-1-GMIN). If you are having issues with My Socrates website call 1-888-337-2400. If you are having trouble with the referral system call 1-800-973-1465.

From the Detroit News: Automakers are growing increasingly concerned that a rail strike next month could cripple auto production and prevent thousands of cars from getting to dealers. General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. both sent letters to congressional leaders on Wednesday, warning that a work stoppage by three railroad unions "would cripple our nation's freight rail system." GM vice president for global public policy Robert E. Ferguson warned a strike could "immediately begin to impact production at several high-volume assembly plants." GM warned of a strike's impact in letters to House Speaker John Boehner; R-Ohio; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.; House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.; and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. GM ships 9,000 vehicles a day in North America; most travel on U.S. railroads. "Within several days, nearly every North American assembly center would be impacted due to a lack of ground space for storing finished vehicles, as our assembled cars could not be shipped out," Ferguson wrote. The unions could go on strike Tuesday unless a deal is reached or negotiations are extended. Both GM and Ford said Congress should consider passing legislation that would impose the terms recommended by the Presidential Emergency Board to immediately halt the threat of a rail strike. GM's letter noted that a strike could cost the U.S. economy $2 billion a day. "With the U.S. auto industry comprising roughly 5 percent of the U.S. (gross domestic product), the impact to the auto sector would be dramatic," Ferguson wrote. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a group representing Detroit's Big Three and nine others, is circulating a letter urging Congress to intervene to prevent a labor strike. The letter is expected to be sent Thursday and include other signers, including the National Automobile Dealers Association and Association of Global Automakers.

From Automotive News: The Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid has topped Consumer Reports’ latest owner-satisfaction survey after its first year on the market. The magazine said 93 percent of respondents who own a Volt said they would definitely purchase one again, making it the highest-rated car in the annual poll. Two second-place finishers, the V8-powered Dodge Challenger and the Porsche 911, drew the most-favorable grade from 91 percent of buyers. Consumer Reports said the Volt -- the subject of a stepped-up safety investigation this week by U.S. regulators -- had been in U.S. showrooms for only a few months when the survey was conducted. “It remains to be seen if the score will hold up as the car rolls out to a wider audience and owners spend more time with their vehicles,” the magazine said. “Still, early adopters of a new technology tend to be among the most enthusiastic buyers.” Scores are based on the percentage of respondents who answered “definitely yes” to the following question: “Considering all factors -- price, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc., -- would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?” Three models received Consumer Reports’ lowest rating, meaning fewer than half of the respondents said they would definitely buy the car again. The models are the Chevrolet Aveo, with just 37 percent of owners indicating they would buy it again, the all-wheel-drive Toyota Matrix (43 percent), and Chevrolet Colorado pickup (47 percent).

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

State of the Union November 30, 2011

Nov. 30, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com


From the Civil Rights Committee: This is the final week to submit essays for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholarship awards. All entries must be postmarked by this Friday. Also, there will be a Civil Rights committee meeting today after first shift at the Union Hall.

From the Education Committee: We would like to thank everyone for their support on the basket raffle. The winners are: Kim Steffes (Premier) and Camella Woodson (core team).

There are still plenty of names available for the Adopt-A-Child for Christmas program. You can see Wanda Richard, Tina Hayes or Mike Bridgins for a name.

From Wards Auto: Credit a new production discipline and a more sober approach to inventory management, which has resulted in pricing power and allowed General Motors to flourish in the U.S. after the bankruptcy. GM simply does not need to keep its assembly plants running to cover massive fixed costs. Don Johnson, GM’s sales chief, told a meeting of Wall Street analysts in New York recently that the auto maker is using a new system to manage its inventories more tightly, without providing details of the approach. However, he says it amounts to every executive with a stake in GM’s inventory levels – from finance to marketing to sales – attending monthly meetings chaired by North America President Mark Reuss. “All the right people are in the room,” Johnson says. Production forecasts looking out 18 months are reviewed based on current production levels and monthly sales expectations. Some months, the group meets twice to make production adjustments if events dictate, Johnson says. Adjustments are made according to how high or low inventories for a specific model line, body style or weight class move off their optimum levels. Decisions made over monthly production schedules and incentive spending during the meeting is followed to the letter, which in the old GM was not always the case. “We have a process that can be followed,” Johnson says. “People could still choose to ignore it, but the culture of the company is so much more disciplined on these issues.” GM also sticks to a 60-day marketing plan, making only slight tweaks where necessary. The old GM might have sprung a new plan on dealers at the last minute in the hopes of making a certain number of sales in a given month. Rarely were such programs successful. “Often, dealers didn’t have time to comprehend the program, get their staff together on it and get advertising out to support it,” Johnson says.

From the Wall Street Journal: General Motors Co. said a “small number” of Chevrolet Volt owners have asked for loaner vehicles while the auto maker and federal regulators investigate whether the cars are at risk of catching fire after a serious crash. The auto maker on Monday offered loaners to 6,000 U.S. Volt owners in an effort to reassure customers after three crash-tests resulted in fires or sparks from the vehicle’s complex battery pack days or weeks after they sustained damage. A GM spokesman declined to give an exact number, but characterized the number of loaner requests and “a few” and “a small number.”

From the Detroit Free Press: The Detroit Three are poised to go on a hiring binge over the next four years as car and truck sales rebound and new labor contracts make it less costly for the automakers to add employees in the U.S., according to the Center for Automotive Research. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are likely to add 30,000 hourly and salaried employees in the U.S. by 2015, analysts from the Center for Automotive Research said during panel discussion this morning at Schoolcraft College. The Detroit Three’s employment increases will be driven by a recovery of industry sales, recent market share gains and new labor contracts that make it less costly for the automakers to employ autoworkers in the U.S., said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor group for the Center for Automotive Research. Dziczek also said she expects total employment for all U.S. automakers and suppliers will increase over the next four years by about 28%, or from 590,000 to 756,000. What’s more, many suppliers who have closed plants and cut employment to survive the recent recession are likely to struggle to find the right workers as demand for parts increases. “About 100,000 to 150,000 people need to be hired by suppliers over the next four years,” said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor group for the Center for Automotive Research. David Andrea, vice president of industry analysis and economics for the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, agreed. The top performing auto suppliers are already scrambling to find skilled workers, Andrea said. “We are seeing significant pockets of constrained capacity,” Andrea said. “Those suppliers have to hire.” Sean McAlinden, senior economist for the Center for Automotive Research, said the UAW will gain about 10,000 new members as a result of job commitments made by the Detroit Three during the recent round of contract talks. McAlinden said he expects the number of hourly UAW members employed by the Detroit Three will increase from 110,000 to about 120,000 by 2015. McAlinden said his estimate is lower than the individual promises publicized by the UAW and the Detroit Three in recent months because it excludes existing workers who are relocating to new plants and includes expected membership losses due to retirement. Still, the job gains for the UAW and the Detroit Three are small compared with historical levels. Total UAW membership has declined from about 1.5 million members to less than 400,000 last year. Total employment for GM, Ford and Chrysler has declined from about 1 million in 1978 to less than 200,000 in 2010, according to Art Schwartz, president of Labor and Economics Associates and former General Motors labor negotiator.

Monday, November 28, 2011

State of the Union November 28, 2011

Nov. 28, 2011 online at uawlocal2250.com

The referral process is now open. On back you will find the instructions on how to complete a referral. As before, it must be done online. Unfortunately, temporary employees will not be able to refer someone.

The annual Pre-Trim bake sale will be held next Monday, Dec. 5 at the team center located at column T-49. Donations can be turned in at the team center prior to the bake sale, which begins at first break and goes until all items are sold. The proceeds go to the Community Services committee to benefit Adopt-A-Child.

Here is this week’s build information: 24 E-26 vans; 1019 cutaways; 300 slider doors; 273 15-pass vans; 22.6% 07 loop; 99 diesels; 86 r/h door deletes; 20 brake deck spare tire; 372 Onstar; 60 exports; 389 Enterprise rent-a-car; 258 U-Haul; 135 Penske; 84.7% white vans.

From Automotive News: General Motors said today that it will provide free loaner vehicles to Chevrolet Volt owners to offer "peace of mind" as federal safety regulators investigate fires that have occurred in the plug-in hybrid's battery pack after crash testing. In a conference call with the media, General Motors executives tried to tamp down growing concerns over the Volt's safety after officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday opened a formal investigation into the risk of fire in Volts that have been involved in severe crashes. "I believe in the safety of the Volt," said Mark Reuss, GM president of North America. "Our customers' peace of mind is the most important thing. This technology should inspire confidence and pride, not raise any concern or doubt." Reuss said GM today is sending letters to all Volt customers and dealersto reassure them that the Volt is "safe to drive" and to clarify that the investigation centers on the risk of an electrical fire that can happen days or even weeks after a severe crash. On Nov. 11, NHTSA disclosed that a Volt that it had been involved in a side-impact crash test in May caught fire three weeks later in a storage facility. NHTSA determined that damage to the vehicle's lithium ion battery led to the fire, but said it didn't believe that the Volt or other electric vehicles were a greater fire risk than gasoline-powered vehicles. On Friday, NHTSA said it conducted three follow-up tests this month that intentionally damaged the Volt's battery pack. Two of those tests caused a fire. "The agency is concerned that damage to the Volt's batteries as part of three tests that are explicitly designed to replicate real-world crash scenarios have resulted in fire," the agency said in a statement Friday. It added: "Chevy Volt owners whose vehicles have not been in a serious crash do not have reason for concern."
11/23/11


WENTZVILLE ASSEMBLY CENTER
TEAM MEMBER REFERRALS PROCESS

Effective immediately Wentzville Assembly will be utilizing the team member referral process to replenish our future candidate pool.

Each active Seniority Hourly and Salaried employee may refer ONE candidate ONLY through the online system (no paper applications will be accepted).

Referrals are done thru mySocrates at https://mygm.gm.com
SEE ATTACHED
-If you have issues the mySocrates website, contact 1-888-337-2400.
-If you have issues with the referral website (not Socrates) contact
1-800-973-1465.

The utilization of new Team Member Referrals is also dependent on final approval by Local and National Parties.

Candidates will be randomly selected and assessed by a central processing center.

Candidates, who worked in previous years ie temporary, WILL HAVE TO BE referred again, unless still in process (contact the person you referred or have the person you referred call 1-800-973-1465).

Candidates who did not successfully pass all aspects of previous testing will not be retested at the time, even if re-referred.

Access to the web site will be from midnight on 11/28/11 and close at 11:00 pm on 12/09/11.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

State of the Union November 23, 2011

Nov. 23, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com


From Chairman Mike Bullock: I would like to wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving holiday weekend. We, in particular, have much to be thankful for here as we add our 2nd shift and prepare for a new product. Also, I would encourage you to participate in the “Adopt A Child” Christmas program – it is a great cause. Finally, remember to try to buy American as you do your Christmas shopping this weekend and beyond.

If you have any questions regarding 2nd shift, you can write them down and drop them in the “Ask John” boxes at the entrances. Your questions will either be answered individually or in the 2ndshift updates in this newsletter.


From the UAW: The UAW strongly supports the proposals detailed in the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) issued by the Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency. "This proposal represents a historic step forward for the U.S. automobile industry," said UAW President Bob King. "It will provide certainty for the manufacturers, significant savings at the gas pump for consumers, and it will create tens of thousands of jobs engineering and producing the technology needed to make vehicles more efficient." King added that, "The Obama administration deserves tremendous credit for including stakeholders in the development of the proposal. The regulatory process of public comments and field hearings will make the proposals stronger and more robust, and the UAW is committed to supporting the proposals during the next phase of rulemaking." A 2010 study by the UAW and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), "Driving Growth," found that improving light-duty vehicle efficiency to 40 mpg by 2020 could create up to 190,000 jobs in the United States. A 2011 study by the UAW, NRDC and the National Wildlife Federation found that there are currently over 500 facilities in the United States employing more than 150,000 people engaged in some aspect of developing or producing fuel-efficient vehicles or their key components. "We believe that this sets the stage for a green-based revival of the U.S. auto industry," said King. "By delivering the efficient vehicles customers want, we will become more competitive, and that is ultimately what leads to a brighter future for everyone in our industry."

From Business Week: U.S. automakers are split on whether to abandon their small pickups, which buyers have left for dead and regulators may try to revive. Ford Motor Co. is ending U.S. sales of Ranger and betting it can hold its share of full-size trucks by concentrating resources on the F-Series. GM is wagering that buyers may come back to the mid-size segment if gasoline prices rise. Mid-size pickups cost almost as much as their full-size counterparts without much boost in fuel economy. “The segment has been in decline for quite a while, so that calls into question whether it’s viable,” R.L. Polk & Co.’s Tom Libby said in a phone interview. “The trend going in the other direction is fuel-economy requirements and an inevitable movement toward smaller vehicles. It’s an unsettled situation.” Mike Levine, a Ford spokesman, said, “You really can’t argue with the sales numbers here. We have very strong demand for full-size pickups, and that’s where we are putting our time and investment.”

One in five owners of GM and Chrysler’s smaller trucks who returned to market for a new vehicle last year moved up into the full-size segment, according to Polk data. The rate among Ford owners was about one in six. If Ford’s gamble falls through, it would undo relentless efforts to protect the “crown jewel” F-150 from Toyota Motor Corp. and Nissan Motor Co., Libby said. “The domestic manufacturers poured everything they had into their products to try and stop Toyota” and have succeeded, he said. Compact trucks have plunged to 16 percent of pickup sales this year through October. Toyota and Nissan now have 56 percent of the mid-size truck segment and only 7 percent of the full-size market.
•    From Bloomberg: Toyota may shift a significant amount of production to the U.S. should demand in Japan fail to rebound and the majority of its output is shipped overseas. "If demand in Japan recovers, we will continue and work to maintain production of 3 million units" in Japan, President Akio Toyoda said Thursday. "If most of it becomes exports, shifting a significant amount of production to the U.S. may be considered." The automaker has pledged to protect jobs in Japan even though the yen's appreciation to a post-World War II high versus the dollar has eroded profitability. The yen has gained more than 9% against the U.S. dollar in the past six months. Toyota, which reported an operating loss of 32.6 billion yen ($425 million) in the fiscal first half, said the strong yen reduced operating income by 130 billion yen ($1.75 billion). The yen's appreciation against the dollar and euro slashed Japanese automakers' profit by 330 billion yen ($4.3 billion) in the first half, according to JAMA. "If the yen continues to stay strong, Toyota will collapse," Toyoda said.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

State of the Union November 21, 2011

Nov. 21, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com


Reminder: This Wednesday, Nov. 23, is a holiday qualifying day and a VR blackout day. Monday, Nov. 28 is a VR blackout day.

Last break this week will run from 2:30 to 2:34 and no line time will be longer than 9 hours. Also, the uniform store will be open Wednesday from 8 am to 4 pm to handle the extra demand.


This week’s build information: 48 E-26 vans; 562 cutaways; 124 15-pass vans; 24.1% 07 loop; 221 slider doors; 111 r/h door deletes; 78 diesels; 176 Onstar; 59 exports, 16 brake deck spare tire; 46 U-Haul; 45 Penske; 81% white vans.

From Automotive News: Chevrolet's upcoming mid-sized pickup will give owners nearly the same capability as a full-sized light-duty pickup but with lower operating expenses. "You may have 85, 90 percent of what a big pickup will do" in terms of capability, said Mark Reuss, General Motors North America president, during an interview at the Los Angeles auto show. Many truck owners do not need a full-sized pickup's capability, Reuss said. Last month GM announced that a redesigned Colorado pickup would be offered in the United States. The mid-sized model will replace the current Colorado pickup, a compact, and it will be assembled in Wentzville, Mo. The truck is based on GM's new global, body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive, mid-sized platform. It is slightly longer and wider than the Colorado, but the company has not disclosed dimensions. The truck is a response to new federal regulations that require vehicles to have better fuel economy and lower emissions. Speaking of the mid-sized pickup, Reuss said that "rather than putting full-blown four-mode hybrids or two-mode hybrids into large pickup trucks and trying to get efficiency out of it, which is extremely expensive, we can do things with lower displacement, hybridization, alternate fuels." Reuss described the new Colorado as a "very, very nice mid-sized pickup that is really cheap to run." Reuss would not say whether GMC will market a similar model. But if GM did replace the GMC Canyon, the pickup would have separate sheet metal, different price points and models. "If we did that it would be a different approach than a Chevrolet," he said. Compact and mid-sized pickups accounted for 16.5 percent of the total U.S. pickup market in 2010, according to the Automotive News Data Center.

General Motors is recalling 1,798 early model 2012 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana full-size vans in the United States because the second stage of the passenger air bag may fail to deploy in a severe crash. The issue is missing propellant in some air bags that could prevent the air bag from deploying as designed. The air bag supplier told GM about the issue after another manufacturer it supplies had a similar issue. The suspect GM vehicles were produced in a four-month period from June to October. GM knows of no reports of complaints, crashes or injuries resulting from the condition. Dealers will replace the passenger air bag for free in the recalled vehicles.


General Motors will invest $61 million to bring its idled Spring Hill assembly plant back to life as one of the world’s most-flexible manufacturing facilities capable of building any GM car or crossover based on customer demand or manufacturing need. The investment will create 594 hourly jobs and 91 salaried positions for the flexible operation scheduled to begin with the hot-selling Chevrolet Equinox in the second half of 2012. The additional production will supplement Equinox production in Canada, the main assembly sites of the midsize crossover vehicle and its sibling the GMC Terrain. The Equinox has been so popular – U.S. sales were up 18 percent in October – that GM has increased production three times since it went into production in 2009. GM also announced Monday a second investment of $183 million for future midsize vehicles to be built at Spring Hill, located about 40 miles south of Nashville. Timing was not announced, but that investment is expected to create an additional 1,090 hourly and 106 salaried positions. “Spring Hill has a history as one of GM’s most innovative and flexible plants,” said Cathy Clegg, vice president of GM Labor Relations. “We’re pleased that, working together with the UAW, we were able to build on that history and develop a plan to resume production at Spring Hill.” "Our number one priority in auto negotiations this year was jobs," said UAW President Bob King. "We asked the company to bring jobs back to America , and that’s what this collective bargaining agreement represents. Together, we are bringing 1,800 jobs to Tennessee, and a total of 6,400 new GM jobs, which translates to nearly 60,000 good, auto-related jobs in the United States." Equinox production is only the start for Spring Hill Flex. Operators will be capable of building a variety of products on a range of platforms – covering for plants being retooled for new products and also allowing real-time reaction to sales spikes in a given car or crossover. "The re-opening of Spring Hill is a testament to the value of collective bargaining," said UAW Vice President Joe Ashton, who directs the union's General Motors Department. "Collective bargaining works for companies, for workers and for America. Collective bargaining is what brought good jobs to Tennessee. It is what built our middle class. It is how workers and communities have a voice in corporate decision-making. Bargaining is what gives the working class a seat at the table."

Thursday, November 17, 2011

State of the Union November 17, 2011

Nov. 17, 2011

Next week’s daily schedule will be no longer than 9 hours each day. We also have received the tentative production schedules for January and February. For the first week of January, the first day back is Tuesday, Jan. 3, and the start times for both shifts will be 6 am. This will be a 10.6 hour day. Wednesday, Jan. 4, the second shift employees will start 12 pm noon. These shifts will be 10.7 hours. Thursday, Jan. 5, second shift will start again at noon. These shifts will be 10.7 hours. There will be no production Friday due to the holiday on Monday. The second week the shifts will be split and the schedule will be 4-10 hour days with Friday the 13th off. The third week has the Martin Luther King holiday on Monday the 16th and we will work 10.6, 10.7 and 10.7 Tuesday through Thursday with Friday off. The fourth week is 5-10 hour days. February is all 10-hour days with three Fridays scheduled for production and one off – the 10th. As usual this is subject to change.

From Forbes: As birthdays go, this one was pretty lousy. On Nov. 9, just a week before the first anniversary of its return as a public company, General Motors warned investors that deteriorating economic conditions in Europe would hurt fourth-quarter results. GM said profit would be flat compared with last year and it would not achieve its target to break even in Europe for the period. A marketwide selloff over the European debt crisis that day didn't help, but shares of GM, which reported a solid $2.2 billion (EBIT) profit for the third quarter--its seventh profitable quarter in a row--took a particularly bad beating, falling 11%. Then on Nov. 11 shares plunged again--but later recovered--on news that a Chevrolet Volt caught fire after a government crash test. It was nothing new for the new GM, which went public at $33, peaked a little over $39 in January and now trades for about $22. The fact that the U.S. Treasury still owns a huge chunk of GM--about 32%--doesn't help. Nor do memories of the taxpayer bailout or decades of substandard cars. Yet there's a lot going right at GM, and it's all easy to overlook. Profit margins in North America and China, the world's two largest auto markets, are 10%, among the best in the industry, even though sales volumes, at least in the U.S., are still at depressed levels. Imagine what GM's North American profit will look like when car sales recover. Its balance sheet is healthy, with $33 billion in cash and just $4 billion in debt. Its U.S. labor costs are now competitive. Its unfunded pension liability has shrunk by half in the past year, due to cash and stock contributions and GM's "de-risking" of its pension investment portfolio. Most important, GM is turning out some impressive cars that are fetching higher prices, which bodes well for the future. If the Chevrolet Sonic doesn't change your mind about GM, nothing will.

This sporty 40 mpg subcompact is not only a huge leap ahead of the Chevy Aveo it replaces, but it's also perhaps the best car in a very tough segment, which includes the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta and Hyundai Accent, all great cars. The Sonic comes on the heels of the new Chevy Cruze and Buick Regal, both of which have been well received. The compact Buick Verano, another impressive car to drive, is hitting showrooms now. Next year GM has more promising vehicles in the pipeline, including a new Chevrolet Malibu sedan, the compact Cadillac ATS and the full-size Cadillac XTS. Since bankruptcy GM has also managed to be disciplined when it comes to discounts and incentives. GM's incentive spending, as a percentage of average transaction price, was about 9.8% in the third quarter, only slightly above the industry average. Through the first nine months of the year about $1.2 billion in profit can be attributed directly to better pricing. If GM can continue to hold the line, transaction prices should stay strong and add to profitability.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally, in an interview with Automotive News, was asked a question about whether the Ford Ranger would get a reprieve given GM’s announcement to build and sell the Colorado here. His answer: “We don't have any plans for it now. The market segment is really small. Most people were in it for fuel efficiency in a smaller vehicle. Now we have a fantastic offering of small and medium-sized cars and utilities, so we essentially have what the customers say they really want and value.”

From the Detroit News: The Obama administration said Wednesday its proposal to nearly double auto fuel efficiency standards to 54.5 mpg by 2025 will cost the auto industry $157.3 billion. The new rules will save more than $1.7 trillion at the pump, the administration said, and have net benefits of $252 billion to $358 billion. Off the additional costs to the auto industry, an estimated $113 billion will go to boost passenger car fuel economy and $44 billion to improve light truck mileage. The proposal will boost the cost of an average car in 2025 by $2,023 and light trucks by $1,578. Costs could be as high as $2,800, however, under a different forecasting analysis, the administration said. The plan, it says, will have other benefits, including saving motorists time at the gas pump, because they'll be fueling up less often. The fewer trips are worth $10 billion or more in saved time. Less gas also means less fuel tax revenue — about $50 billion — and the government will have to figure out how to replace revenue for road repairs. The Obama administration said it chose not to forecast whether the new rules and higher costs will cause auto sales to rise or fall. Margo Oge, EPA's director of the Office of Transportation & Air Quality, predicted the regulations would have a "modest" impact on sales. "This regulation gambles that millions of consumers will be able to afford thousands more for generally smaller, more expensive vehicles that may not meet their needs," said the National Automobile Dealers Association, which notes that, including efficiency hikes for 2011-2016, the overall new car prices will actually be about $3,000 higher by 2025. Complying with the proposed fuel requirements, the government estimates, will cost General Motors Co. $37.8 billion, Ford Motor Co. $29.4 billion, the Chrysler-Fiat alliance $9.7 billion and Toyota Motor Corp. $23.2 billion. Estimates are $15.3 billion for Honda Motor Co., $15 billion for Nissan Motor Co., $8.2 billion for Hyundai Motor Co. and $4.1 billion for its Kia unit. The rules go easier on SUVs and pickups than on cars. These light trucks must improve fuel efficiency by 3.5 percent annually between 2017-21, compared to 5 percent each year for cars. A steep fall-off in full-size SUV sales is expected — from 3.3 percent of vehicles sold in 2016 to 0.63 percent in 2025.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

State of the Union November 16, 2011

Nov. 16, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com


Reminder: Union meeting is today at 1 pm, 3 pm and 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time.


From Community Services: Names are now available for the annual Adopt-A-Child Christmas event. You can see Wanda Richard, Tina Hayes or Mike Bridgins for a child’s name or you can make a donation. There is no limit on the number of needy children available so let’s open our hearts and wallets in true Wentzville fashion to help those less fortunate than us to have a Merry Christmas.

From Bloomberg: General Motors Co. will suspend production at its factory that assembles Chevrolet Cruze compact cars for one week to avoid oversupply of the model as Japanese rivals’ inventories rebound (net field stock stands at 67 days, up from 39 last month). The Lordstown, Ohio, plant will stop output for the week of Nov. 28, Chris Lee, a spokesman for the Detroit-based automaker, said in a phone interview. United Auto Workers Local 1714, which represents the plant’s hourly workers, cited competitors’ inventories recovering from the March earthquake and tsunami in Japan as a reason for the shutdown in a message to members on its website. Cruze has outsold Honda’s Civic this year through October and trails Toyota’s Corolla by 1,316 deliveries. “We don’t want to overproduce,” GM’s Lee said in a phone interview. “Those days are gone from a GM standpoint. We’re just keeping it in control and we’ll ramp it back up and be prepared for a strong start after the first of the year.”

From the Detroit Free Press: The UAW is laying off about 58 staff workers who belong to a separate union to help balance a budget that has been squeezed by membership losses in recent years. The layoffs are the result of an August agreement that provided buyout offers to the Office and Professional Employees International Union, which represents about 260 UAW employees. A total of 100 members of the OPEIU who work at the UAW will be laid off or accept a voluntary buyout package. "Following the nation's economic collapse, the UAW lost an unprecedented number of members," UAW President Bob King said in a statement. "The UAW has drastically reduced the number of staff on payroll, cut the benefits and pay of its staff, cut post-retiree health care benefits, among other measures," King said. The UAW hoped enough workers would accept the buyout offer to prevent any layoffs. "Since the number of OPEIU reduced did not match the goal, layoffs are necessary," King said in the statement.

From the New York Times: Jay Leno is nearing a milestone. “I took delivery of the Volt on Dec. 12 last year,” Mr. Leno said in a telephone interview before appearing Tuesday at a Chevrolet event held in conjunction with the Los Angeles auto show. “And I’ve never had to put gas in it yet.” The comedian and late-night television host said he had put about 11,000 miles on his Chevrolet Volt in the last 11 months. “They gave it to me with a full tank of gas,” he said. The tank, by the way, holds 9.3 gallons. “I’ve used less than half of that.” Mr. Leno’s expansive garage is in Burbank, and every car is maintained with a full tank of gas, current registration and valid insurance, so he can select any one of them for a drive. Some of the cars are almost never driven. Not so his Volt. It has quickly become a favorite. “It’s my daily driver,” he said. “It really is. I commute in it to work every day. My commute, and all my other daily running around, totals less than 35 miles.” Chevrolet claims that the Volt can travel about 40 miles on electric power alone, under normal driving conditions, before the juice in the batteries would be depleted, after which the car’s small gasoline engine would provide added range. “You get 40 miles free, as they say,” Mr. Leno said. “Because of the way I drive it, it almost never kicks into gasoline mode.” Mr. Leno echoed one of the primary marketing points used by Chevrolet to differentiate the Volt from purely electric cars like the Nissan Leaf. “I mean, I could jump in it and drive to Vegas,” he said, a trip of about 280 miles, door to door, from Burbank. “They say the range is something like 400 miles.” The Leaf can travel roughly 100 miles before requiring a charge. Aside from the mileage, Mr. Leno said he was also pleased with the rest of the car, especially its technology. “It’s a real breakthrough,” he said. “I know people probably get tired of hearing me say that. But it really is.” The comedian then went for the rimshot line. “You know it’s good because they lose money on every one of them they sell,” he said.
•    Forbes compiled their worst car/truck flops for 2011 and one particular recipient caught our attention. That would be Consumer Reports pick for most reliable pickup, the Nissan Titan. How in the name of Japanese bias can that be? Take it over, Forbes: “Web2Cars warns potential buyers that the Titan’s ‘noisy V-8 and exhaust may interrupt the driving experience.’ It also notes that the truck’s reliability has dropped well below average for the past five model years. The Titan lacks a full-time AWD to match the power output, and a lack of passenger room for crew cab models makes it subpar compared to competitors.”

While we’re on the topic of Nissan flops, the Wall Street Journal reports the NV full size van is expanding its marketing horizons in an effort to juice early anemic sales by presenting a couple of chow-wagon concepts at the Los Angeles auto show this week. Interested in a gourmet grilled cheese on wheels? How about a strawberry/jalapeno ice cream cone? Nissan’s got your answer with their custom vans ready to deliver these culinary delights (?) to your door. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

State of the Union November 15, 2011

Nov. 15, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
•    Reminder: Union meeting is tomorrow at 1 pm, 3 pm and 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time.
•    From the Civil Rights Committee: The following are the winners of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. fundraiser: 1st prize ($9,039) – Lynn Emery, body shop; 2nd prize (laptop computer) – Jamie Callaway, skilled trades; 3rd prize – ($300 gift card) – Earl Lee Jr., quality; $50 gas card winners – Lou Moos, Jeff Harris, Jim O’Conner. Thank you for your continued support.
•    Here is this week’s build information: 26 E-26 vans; 679 cutaways; 240 slider doors; 135 15- pass vans; 22.4% 07 loop; 142 r/h door deletes; 94 diesels; 244 Onstar; 70 exports; 36 brake deck spare tire; 300 Penske; 168 Enterprise rent-a-car; 38 government vans; 68.3% white vans.
•    From CNN: In last Wednesday night's Republican presidential debate in Rochester, Michigan, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney said the federal government played too much of a role in saving automakers General Motors and Chrysler. He said he would have preferred a private bankruptcy process rather than the U.S. government giving billions of dollars in loans and taking a stake in the companies in 2009 (even though there was no private funding available at the time). He criticized the government's influence in the process, saying it essentially gave General Motors to the United Auto Workers, and Chrysler to Italian automaker Fiat. The statement: "They gave General Motors to the UAW, and they gave Chrysler to Fiat." -- former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
The facts: In 2009, both General Motors and Chrysler went into bankruptcy to restructure after receiving billions of dollars in federal loans. As General Motors emerged from bankruptcy in July 2009, the U.S. Treasury took a 60.8% stake in the company in return for a $50 billion bailout. A trust established to fund health care benefits for UAW retirees -- not the UAW itself -- took a 17.5% stake. The Canadian government took a 12.5% stake, and unsecured bondholders were given a 10% share. The trust fund came about as part of GM's restructuring. The UAW essentially agreed to shift responsibility for retiree health care costs away from GM to the union-controlled trust fund, consisting of company stock rather than cash. Stock for the post-bankruptcy GM was available for public trading starting in November 2010. As of August, the U.S. Treasury still owned about a third of the shares, with the UAW fund owning about 12.8%, according to Fortune.
•    From the Detroit News: One year after its much-heralded IPO, which raised a record $23.1 billion, General Motors Co.'s stock has swooned 30 percent from its initial offering price. And taxpayers are still holding a big chunk of stock on which they'll lose money if the government were to sell off its stake now. At the current trading price, the government stands to lose about $15 billion on its investment in GM. The stock would have to climb to at least $53 a share for the U.S. Treasury to break even. Wall Street analysts remain optimistic the stock will rebound, eventually, listing it at a "moderate buy" based on the automaker's consistent quarterly profits, its focus on emerging global markets and its ambitious U.S. investment plans. But a slowdown in the world market and troubles in Europe have prompted analysts to dial down earlier expectations. GM stock tumbled 10.9 percent last Wednesday — to $22.31 — after the Detroit-based automaker revised its year-end outlook, saying fourth-quarter earnings will be flat over 2010. The company no longer expects to break even in Europe this year, a reversal of its previous forecast. On Monday, GM stock closed up 2.1 percent, to $22.99. "What we are looking at is an increasingly challenged economic environment going forward with a lot of uncertainty," GM Chief Financial Officer Dan Ammann said. GM plans to completely address its U.S. pension plan underfunding in the next few years. GM has cut its pension underfunding from $18 billion in late 2010 to $8.7 billion as of Sept. 30.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

State of the Union November 9, 2011

Nov. 9, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

There will be a Women’s Committee meeting Thursday after first shift at the Union Hall. All are invited to attend.

Here are the winners of the suggestion fair drawings: Big Screen TV – Kim Martinez, chassis; Apparel and Golf passes – James Morton, Jim Stack, Brian Hoffman, chassis; Glenn House, quhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifality; Ann McFadden, material; Steve Hotard, paint; Rocky, skilled trades; Michael Sevener, new hire.

Team leader applications will be accepted today through Friday for current or future Chassis department members only. Testing will be done next week for the 6 remaining openings.

Financial results for GM’s third quarter are in. North American operations earnings before taxes were $2.203 billion, which equates to $2200 profit sharing. Overall, GM’s earnings were $1.726 billion on revenue of $36.8 billion, down from $1.959 billion last year. GM’s fortunes reversed in Europe, where it lost $292 million in the third quarter after posting a net profit in the second quarter. But the loss in Europe was less than the $559 million GM lost there in the third quarter of 2010. GM now does not expect to break even in Europe for the year before restructuring charges, which had been its goal, GM CFO Dan Ammann told reporters today. "We obviously have significant macroeconomic challenges to address there," Amman said. Profits at GM's international division, which includes China, fell 29 percent to $365 million. Ammann said earnings in China were up, but unfavorable exchange rates in other markets curbed profits. GM lost $44 million in South America during the quarter after posting steady profits of around $100 million or $200 million there in recent quarters. In the third quarter of 2010, GM had posted South American profits of $163 million. GM Financial posted a third-quarter pretax profit of $178 million. It was not a subsidiary a year earlier. GM is forecasting fourth quarter earnings to be essentially the same as last year, which was around $1 billion with NA earnings of $800 million.

From the Chaplaincy Committee: There will be a Veterans Day Memorial Friday, Nov. 11 at lunch time in the Chassis Chapel located at column C-42. All are welcome to attend.

From Automotive News: Nissan North America Inc. will expand its cargo van into a people hauler next spring when it introduces the NV3500 HD passenger van. The 12-passenger van will have four rows of seats and offer two engine options, a 317-hp V-8 with 385 pounds-feet of torque or a 261-hp 4.0-liter V-6 with 281 pounds-feet of torque. Both engines will be paired with a five-speed automatic transmission. The van will feature 324 seat configurations, with removable second and third-row seats.

From the Detroit News: General Motors Co. has taken a big step toward reducing retiree costs in Canada by setting up a health care trust fund similar to the one established by the United AutoWorkers union. The company said Tuesday it received final legal approval to establish the independent fund, which will cover health care benefits for about 32,000 retirees represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union. The fund, effective Oct. 31, allows GM to shift the expense of caring for aging retirees to the union-run health fund. "The new health care trust is another step forward as we work to de-risk and strengthen our balance sheet and position the company for sustainable profitability," said GM CFO Dan Ammann in a statement. The Detroit-based automaker expects the transaction will take about $3 billion in retiree liabilities off its books. GM and the Canadian union first agreed to the health care trust in June 2009 as part of cost-cutting measures associated with the automaker's bankruptcy restructuring. Establishment was held up by legal approvals. GM will pay in total over $2.5 billion into the fund over the next seven years, starting with an initial payment of $1 billion.

From the Detroit Free Press: Toyota said its quarterly profit slid 18.5 percent to $1 billion on plunging sales caused by parts shortages from the tsunami disaster in northeastern Japan and warned it faces a new challenge from flooding in Thailand. Toyota Motor Corp. declined Tuesday to give a forecast for the full financial year ending March 2012, citing uncertainties stemming from the Thai floods which have disrupted supplies of parts and prompted it to cut some car production. Toyota, Japan's top automaker, said that vehicle sales plunged in the key markets of Japan and North America, but it was making up for some of the losses by strong sales in Asia, such as India and Indonesia. Toyota's quarterly sales fell nearly 5 percent from a year earlier to $58.7 billion. Also battering Toyota is the surging yen. Toyota counted on the dollar costing 86 yen last year, but is now seeing it slip to 78 yen. Toyota said the unfavorable exchange rate erased $1 billion from its latest quarterly net income. Toyota, which was the world's biggest automaker in annual vehicle sales last year, sank to No. 3 in the first half of this year, trailing U.S. rival General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG of Germany.

From the Wall Street Journal: Toyota Motor Corp. said it will recall about 283,200 Toyota and 137,000 Lexus vehicles to replace the crankshaft pulleys on their V6 engines. The recall includes the 2004 Avalon; 2004 and 2005 Camry, Highlander, Sienna, and Solara; 2006 Highlander HV; 2004 and 2005 Lexus ES330 and RX330; and 2006 RX400h. The car maker said no other Toyota or Lexus vehicles, or versions of the listed vehicles with 4-cylinder engines are affected. The problem stems from the outer ring of the crankshaft pulley, which may become misaligned with the inner ring, causing noise and possibly illumination of a warning light. If the problem isn’t corrected the belt for the power steering pump may detach from the pulley and the driver may notice a sudden increase in the effort required to turn the steering wheel. The recall is expected to begin in January, when Toyota hopes to have enough parts available to make the repairs.

Monday, November 7, 2011

State of the Union November 7, 2011

State of the Union

Nov. 7, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

There will be a Suggestion Fair on Tuesday, Nov. 8, to promote use of the Suggestion program. It will be located at the bleachers at column B-38. There will be popcorn and a drawing for a big screen TV, but you need to have submitted a suggestion this year to be eligible. There will also be drawings for a Chevy Colorado jacket and other items that do not require having a suggestion submitted. Stop by to learn more about the suggestion program beginning at first break.

The Community Services Committee will be having a meeting Tuesday after first shift in the cafeteria.

For the first month in a very long time, we outsold the Ford Econoline. Here are the October sales results for the van market:
2011 2010 Change Share
GM 7331 6286 + 16.6% 44.3%
Ford Econoline 6806 7379 - 7.8% 41.1%
Mercedes Sprinter 1485 725 +112.7% 8.9%
Nissan NV 941 --- --- 5.7%
Ford Transit connect 2180 2577 - 12.2% ---

While overall net field supplies fell by 706 units, the slower sales rate resulted
in an increase in the days supply to 57 from 50 at the end of September. Passenger vans continue to be in short supply with only 606 units total. Chevy cargo vans are at a 43 day supply while cutaway inventories are around 100 days supply.

Here is this week’s build information: 44 E-26 vans; 726 cutaways; 301 slider doors; 130 15-pass vans; 120 r/h door deletes; 92 diesels; 307 Onstar; 28 brake deck spare tire; 332 Penske vans; 259 AT&T cng vans; 146 Enterprise cargo vans; 75.4% white vans; model mix is 31% cutaways, 51% cargo and 18% passenger (24% 07 loop).

There was extensive media coverage of last Thursday’s announcement. Here are some websites you can go to for articles, pictures and videos :
o https://gmweb.gm.com/sites/socrates/Pages/home.aspx
o http://www.gov.mo.gov/
o http://gallery.me.com/stevefechtphoto#106578

JEFFREY BROWN: But I guess I'm asking you about the potential rift, the frustrations within union ranks (about CEO pay and two-tier wages).
BOB KING: Well, you want to make -- I'm sorry, but you seem like you want to make a rift where I don't think there's a rift.
JEFFREY BROWN: OK.
BOB KING: Traditional workers voted overwhelmingly to support entry-level workers getting $3.50 raise -- an-hour raise, even though they were not.
We have seen this over and over again in the UAW. In the agricultural implement industry, we were forced into a two-tier situation a number of years ago. We have done three contracts since then. Every contract, the traditional workers have demanded that more be done to equalize the newer workers. And that's our goal in the auto industry, too.
JEFFREY BROWN: So what is the situation for the auto industry more broadly, after we watched what happened a couple years ago? Where are we now?
BOB KING: Well, we're in much better shape than we were.
We're concerned about what is going on in Europe. I mean, we're all tied together globally, economically. So we know we're not out of the woods yet. If Europe deteriorates economically, that will have impact in the U.S.
You know, right now, we were just in some meetings with General Motors today, with global unions and General Motors. And one of the points that the company was making that I concur with is that we think that the 13 million SAAR is steady because a lot of people are buying vehicles. They are replacing vehicles now.
Of course, we'd love to see it back up to 16, 17, but if we stay in the 13, 14 area, we will have healthy companies. Our members will share in profit-sharing. We will be building capacity and building strength for the future.
JEFFREY BROWN: And, more broadly, we're, of course, in this era where we're seeing many states push back against their public sector unions and more states talking about or implementing right-to-work laws. How do you make a case now for the traditional union in our era?
BOB KING: Well, I think the best example is the auto industry.
Here's business, management, and labor, and the government all work together. Rather than polarizing and taking polarizing positions, we came to the table collectively. We said, here are the issues. How do we do creative problem-solving to help the companies and help our membership?
And I think we showed both during a period of bankruptcy and now with this agreement that we can work together for the good of the companies, for the good of our membership and for the good of our communities and our country.
JEFFREY BROWN: And you think you can make a case to the American public that unions are still important?
BOB KING: I think absolutely we can. We're proving it.
If it wasn't for the UAW, a lot of these investments would have been all over the world and not in the United States of America. We stood up for our members. We stood up for America. And to the company's credit, they worked with us in creating jobs and investment here in the United States of America.
And so I believe in American consumers, which are already showing more preference again for U.S.-made vehicles, because we're making the highest-quality vehicles. We're going to -- we're going to see the market share grow for General Motors and for Chrysler and for Ford.

There will be no SOU for Tuesday November 8, 2011.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

State of the Union November 2, 2011

Today's edition is a 2nd shift update:

SECOND SHIFT UPDATE

As everyone knows, the entire plant is in the process of preparing for the kickoff of the second shift, which will be Jan. 3, 2012. There have been many questions about a wide variety of topics, and while all of them will not be answered here, we will give you the latest information we have.

Second shift split schedule: The first day back, Tuesday,Jan. 3, the start times for both shifts will be 6 am. This will be a 10.7 hour day. The build schedule is 0, although the line will obviously run some. This day will be dedicated to training. Wednesday, Jan. 4, the second shift employees will start 12 pm noon. The build schedule is 25 per shift. These shifts will be 10.7 hours. Thursday, Jan. 5, second shift will start again at noon and the build schedule is 50 per shift. These shifts will be 10.6 hours. There will be no production Friday due to the holiday on Monday. Then on Monday, Jan. 9, the second shift will begin at the normal start time of 5:30 pm.

Production acceleration plan: As mentioned above, the build schedule will begin low but accelerate rapidly. The target at the end of the first full week of two-shift production is 225 per shift. At the end of the third week it is 295 per shift. At the end of the fourth week (Feb. 9) it is 300 per shift. The plan is to reach full production at the end of February and begin March producing 317 units per shift with a net line speed off of the K-line of 34.3 jobs per hour.

Staffing for the second shift: Employees have already been brought into the plant in preparation for the second shift launch (there will be 444 hourly employees added). So far, there have been 16 people under the return to former community clause; 22 have come back that were laid off and had gone time-for-time; 84 temporary employees were hired; and 17 National Area Hire volunteers will be arriving next week.

Quality Metrics: For the first two weeks of January, we will have a direct run rate target of 70. The direct run loss target will be 202.44 and the GCA target will continue to be 50. Direct run target by the end of January will be 75 and direct run loss target will be 192. Direct run rate target by the end of February will be 81 and direct run loss will be 178. We will reach the ongoing plant target of 85 for direct run at the end of March. The direct run loss target will drop every month throughout the year, reaching 144 by the end of December.

Department staffing/training plan: All of the job bidding has been completed. Transfers are being honored based on the training time required for the particular job being filled. As new people are brought in, they are being trained on the jobs that will be vacated by the operators going to these long-lead-time jobs. There are still around 15 openings for team leaders after the latest application/testing phase.
Stamping: There will be approximately 30 people transferring to stamping. There are 13 jobs with a 6-week training requirement. Physicals and training are in progress.
Body shop: Training is already underway as all jobs have been filled. There are 22 jobs requiring 2 weeks of training. As more people come into the Body Shop we will continue to increase the number of people on second. The training on jobs will be done just as it is with any new operator. Training will take place with the Team Leader involved and utilize a revised JIT process that will assure the operator understands & can perform the job.
Paint shop: Paint Department will consist of 79 people when we have 2 shifts. 26 of those positions will be filled by people who are not in paint today. That number is direct and indirect labor. We are utilizing manpower that we currently have in the shop to train up to 9 people a day. We have 6 long lead time jobs that take at least 6 weeks to train on. These include Elpo/mixers, gun techs and final process repair. We had 11 sprayer positions open and so far there have only been 7 filled.
Material: There are 14 long-lead-time jobs in material. There are approximately 60 people transferring to material. Physicals and training are ongoing.
Quality: There are 13 long-lead-time jobs in quality. There are approximately 31 people transferring to the quality department. Training is ongoing.

Facilities preparation for second shift: There will be an enormous amount of rearrangement necessary to facilitate the new line speed and the addition of the second shift. As you may already know, a survey is circulating through the skilled trades to determine the availability of workers on weekends and holidays to perform this work, with the goal of having our trades people do as much of the work as possible. It looks like tentatively, we will need to work maintenance personnel most, if not all, weekends until Christmas break. There will most likely be maintenance personnel working the Thanksgiving weekend and Christmas week. Everything is dependent on how many skilled trades we can get to work and time needed to complete the different aspects of the work. Maintenance personnel are still putting the plan together based on the teams developing each of their scopes of work.