State of the Union May 18, 2011

May 17, 2011 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
•    Union meeting is this Wednesday, May 18 at 1 pm, 3 pm and 15 minutes after the longest first shift line time. There will be votes on three by-laws changes at this month’s meeting.
•    From Automotive News: Almost 200,000 U.S. customers looking to buy new vehicles are "up for grabs" because of parts shortages caused by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, according to a new report for A.T. Kearney. If full production at Japanese plants does not resume until the fourth quarter, the number of new vehicle sales up for grabs will rise to 328,000, or the equivalent of 2-1/2 points of market share, Cheng said. Of those, 263,000 would be with Toyota, Honda and Nissan. A.T. Kearney also expects U.S. new-vehicle sales to grow almost 14 percent to 13.2 million this year from 11.6 million in 2010, and reach 16 million in 2013. After that, growth will rise more slowly, hitting 16.7 million in 2016 (the average age of vehicles on the road is 10.4 years, a post-WWII high)
•    From the Detroit Free Press: Federal safety officials are investigating complaints that the Ford Freestyle crossover vehicle can lunge unexpectedly when driving at low speeds or idling. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says it has received 238 complaints involving 2005 through 2007 Freestyles. Eighteen minor crashes were reported with one minor injury. The agency said the seven-seat family haulers can lunge up to 10 feet when the driver's foot is not on the accelerator or firmly on the brakes. Incidents of brief acceleration have been reported in both forward and reverse gears, NHTSA said.
•    From the Flint Journal: Construction on General Motors planned new $418-million paint facility is slated to begin as soon as October, according to city documents. The proposed building would be constructed adjacent to the Flint Truck Assembly plant at the Van Slyke Road Complex, where GM once proposed to build a new Chevrolet Volt engine plant. The Flint City Council is scheduled on Wednesday to consider changes to an existing redevelopment plan for the property.
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•    Here are some details on the proposal, as outlined in city of Flint documents:
o The paint shop is expected to be fully operational in late 2013 or early 2014.
o The potential investment would be about $417.8 million:

- $112 million for building construction
- $6 million for building improvements
- $6.5 million for site improvements
- $293.3 million for machinery and equipment
o It would create an estimated 50 new jobs.
o Once completed, the project will be "GM's most modern paint facility," according to the proposal.
o The building would be approximately 850,000 square feet.
o The shop will allow workers to paint vehicles that come out of nearby Flint Truck Assembly.