May 13, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
•From Chairman Mike Bullock: There will be 4 more members temporarily recalled Monday, May 16 to replace sick leaves.
•Regarding the headcount numbers published yesterday: The numbers were from the April report and have since changed and in fact change on nearly a daily basis. There was an omission of the stamping skilled trades from the plant total, which stands at 255.
•From Automotive News: Chrysler Group LLC is pulling ahead summer shutdowns at some factories and canceling overtime at a plant in Mexico to conserve parts from suppliers affected by the March earthquake in Japan. Chrysler's Toledo North Assembly Plant that builds Jeep Liberty and Dodge Nitro SUVs in Ohio will shut down during the weeks of June 20 and June 27 instead of during the week of July 11 and July 18, she said. The Toledo Supplier Park that produces Jeep Wranglers will shut down for the week of June 20 instead of the week of July 11, Tinson said. A factory that makes Ram 1500 and Dakota pickups in Warren, Mich., will be closed during the weeks of June 20 and June 27 instead of July 11 and July 18, she said. The assembly plant in Saltillo, Mexico, that makes Ram trucks will eliminate overtime scheduled for May 20, May 27, June 10 and June 24 instead of taking down time during the week of July 11, she said.
•Per a press release, General Motors will invest $109 million in its operations inFlint and Bay City, Mich., to support engine production for current and future fuel-efficient small cars produced for the U.S. market. The investment will protect or add 96 jobs at the two sites. “This additional GM investment in the Ecotec engine is a testament to all the UAW Local 599 members who have worked so hard to make the 1.4-liter engine America’s first choice,” said Terry Everman, chairman of UAW Local 599 at Flint Engine Operations. Of the $109 million, $84 million will be used at Flint to increase 1.4-liter engine capacity. Bay City’s investment of $25 million is for connecting rods and camshafts used in the engine. Said Todd McDaniel, chairman of UAW Local 362 in Bay City: "Once again General Motors has recognized the hard work and dedication of our work force at Bay City. With this most recent addition to our previous announcements, we are one step closer to filling our plant with work. I feel very confident that it is just a matter of time."
•Edmunds.com editor Warren Clarke was the latest victim of the Nissan Leaf. Here are some excerpts from his account of his experience: Friday evening. The car board comes around, so that the editors can each select a car for the weekend. I sign up for the Leaf -- I don't have a lot of driving planned, and figure the quiet weekend will be a good match for the Leaf's limited range. By the time Monday morning yawns and stretches, I've put 53 miles on the Leaf's odometer -- almost all of that from city driving. As I'm pulling out of the carport on the way to work, the Leaf's distance-to-empty (DTE) gauge is showing 13 miles. Thirteen miles. No cause for concern, I reason. After all, I live only seven miles away from the Edmunds nerve center. Should be able to get there with a few miles to spare…. I'm in "Eco" mode, driving like a Pasadena schoolteacher, and I'm almost there. The electric eagle has almost landed when I remember: Hey, on Monday mornings, each editor is expected to lather up the car that he or she borrowed over the weekend. I guess the detour adds no more than a mile or two to the journey, if that. By now, the DTE gauge has given up trying to make any predictions -- it's thrown its hands up in the air, offering this not-so-helpful estimate: "---". But I've still got one bar of electricity left on the charge gauge. Should I risk it? I decide to go for it. A few minutes later, the car is freshly washed. I start her up, pull out of the car wash, and get the message shown below (Very low battery. Would you like to search for a charging station?). Not very encouraging. But I'm almost there. Our office is only two miles from the car wash -- 1.74, to be exact. A couple moments later, I see it -- the flashing tortoise. The one you see in the Leaf when it's about to slash the speed and cut the power. The car slows down. After a block or so, the Leaf checks out, at 62.6 miles. I'm half a block from a major intersection. No nearby spots to push the car into -- nothing to do but call AAA and wait.
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