August 16, 2012 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• There has been some misunderstanding about the use of VR time during the shutdown for those who have just 40 hours. Per the vacation application guidelines, “Employees entitled to 40 hours of vacation entitlement may chooseeither to use such hours or be placed on an unpaid leave of absence during the entire shutdown period.”
• Tickets for a 50-50 raffle to support the SOS ride this Saturday will go on sale Thursday. Trustee Wanda Richard will be in the cafeteria at first break and then on the shop floor selling tickets on first shift and Kim Davis will be selling tickets on 2nd shift. Also, SOS t-shirts will be on sale today in the cafeteria.
• Reminder: The 7th annual SOS – Support our Soldiers – motorcycle ride and rally will be next Saturday, Aug. 18. Registration will begin at 9 am at the Union Hall with the last bike out at 11am. Cost is $20 per bike, $5 per passenger and $5 for each extra hand. The ride ends at Crazy Horse Saloon in Wentzville at 6 pm. All bikes and cages (cars) are welcome. Proceeds will benefit Operation Homefront. If you have any questions you can contact Steve Melson at 636-262-1234.
• Hybrid full-size pickups and SUV’s have been in GM’s lineup for several years now, but you’d never know it reading this article from Wards Auto: The ultimate goal of a partnership formed last year between Fordand Toyotais a hybrid-electric fullsize pickup, says a high-ranking Ford engineer.“The nut we’re trying to crack is how do we do an F-150 hybrid?” Kevin Layden, Forddirector-electrification programs and engineering, tells WardsAutoat a media backgrounder here. “We’re working with (Toyota) and developing plans.” The auto makers last year inked an agreement to jointly develop rear-wheel-drive hybrid-electric powertrains, noting increasing fuel efficiency of light-duty pickups and SUVs is imperative to remaining viable in a U.S. market facing increasingly stringent government emissions and mileage regulations. The partners hope to mitigate costs and increase speed-to-market of new products. Work with Toyota is ongoing, Layden says, but he declines to reveal when a production vehicle may result from the tie-up. There are several obstacles confronting engineers, Layden says, including how to ensure a fuel-efficient electrified powertrain can handle the workload and durability demands of pickup and SUV buyers. “Everyone wants to tow with a truck, and that’s a duty cycle that really taxes the battery and electric motor” he says. “We have to figure out how you maximize that and still get the fuel economy.”
• Toyota has finally gotten on the electric vehicle bandwagon with an EV version of the compact SUV RAV4. The battery pack is supplied by Tesla, so it now appears that Toyota can do neither a hybrid electric full size pickup or a dedicated electric vehicle without considerable assistance. The RAV4 gas version starts at $22,650. The electric version? $49,800! For that you get, according to Wards Auto, “base-model-like bargain accoutrements: unappealing plastic trim on the instrument panel and door inners and fake-leather seating.”
• From Autoblog: Here's a shocking statistic: The United States has fewer cars per capita than Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and 16 other countries. Even more dramatic is one of the potential causes: A declining American middle class. According to an Atlantic report on a new study conduct by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, we're ranked just 25th in the world in per-person car ownership. The actual number stands at 439 cars per 1,000 Americans. Further, the U.S. is an outlier when you compare the number of vehicles per capita to household consumption. While we have one of the highest rates of household spending, car buying is in decline here. It is this disparity that points to the widening income gap in the U.S. as a potential cause of our low rate of car ownership. Indeed, car ownership rates track with the size of a nation's middle class, according to the report.
• From Automotive News: Opel is in talks with the IG Metall union and worker representatives to shorten working hours at its main German plant in Ruesselsheim, near Frankfurt. "Due to the deteriorating market situation in Europe, the management of Adam Opel AG is negotiating the subject of short time working and working hour reduction in Ruesselsheim with the works council and IG Metall," the money-losing General Motors subsidiary said in a statement on Thursday. The statement said the sides expect to reach an agreement quickly. Media reports cited company sources as saying Opel was also considering shortened working hours at its engine plant in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Ruesselsheim is Opel's main production hub and currently produces the Astra compact and Insignia mid-sized models. The carmaker has previously said that production of the next-generation Astra will be done at plants in the UK and Poland in 2015. If management and labor representatives agree to shorten working hours for the plant's staff, Opel can apply for subsidies under the German government's short-work program, called Kurzarbeit. The scheme was used by many struggling companies in the 2008-2009 recession, allowing them to preserve jobs by cutting the hours of employees when usage of plants was low, while having the government compensate workers for part of their lost wages. At the height of the last global financial crisis, more than 1.4 million workers in Germany received money under the program. While recent data shows only about 80,000 people were receiving such assistance in May of this year, several companies have had to seek government subsidies in recent months.
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
State of the Union August 14, 2012
August 14, 2012 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Tickets for a 50-50 raffle to support the SOS ride this Saturday will go on sale Thursday. Trustee Wanda Richard will be in the cafeteria at first break and then on the shop floor selling tickets on first shift and Kim Davis will be selling tickets on 2nd shift.
General Motors is recalling more than 10,000 full-size vans in the U.S. and Canada because the fuel filler pipes can rust, leak and cause fires. The recall affects Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans from the 2003 and 2004 model years with left-side cargo doors. It covers vans sold in 20 states, Washington, D.C., and in Canada, where salt and chemicals are used to clear snow from roads. GM said Tuesday salt and chemicals can get trapped in a conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe and cause corrosion. Gasoline may leak and cause a fire. The company said it doesn’t know of any fires or injuries from the problem. GM dealers will fix the problem free of charge.
Dealers are expected to be notified in October when parts become available. GM said in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that owners already have been sent letters detailing special repair coverage for the problem. Owners know to take their vans to dealers if a leak develops. The vans were sold in all 50 states, but the recall affects only those sold or registered in Canada and the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Owners with questions can call Chevrolet at (866) 694-6546 and GMC at (866) 996-9463. (The plant has been aware of this issue and a service bulletin had been issued to dealerships to correct the problem if it had occurred.)
The GM Korea Union has a tentative wage deal. Union members will vote on the tentative agreement on Thursday and Friday, union spokesman Choi Jong-hak told Dow Jones Newswires. The union agreed to a basic pay increase of 92,000 Korean won ($82) per person, performance-based bonus worth KRW5 million (about $4500) to be paid at the end of the year, and a lump-sum incentive payment of KRW3 million (about $2700), GM Korea spokesman Park Hae-ho said. On the issue of ending night shifts, the two parties have agreed to decide on the time frame for the new shift system in the first half of next year, Mr. Choi said.
Gov. Jay Nixon and the governors of Michigan, Tennessee and Illinois have founded the National Governors Auto Caucus to grow the auto industry and its suppliers, Gov. Nixon announced. The bi-partisan caucus, composed of Gov. Nixon, Gov. Richard Snyder (R-MI), Gov. Bill Haslam (R-TN), and Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL), was introduced at an annual conference sponsored by the Center for Automotive Research in Traverse City, Michigan. "I look forward working with fellow Governors and experts in the industry to seek new ways to continue the recent growth in automotive manufacturing," said Gov. Nixon. "This partnership will help to strengthen the nation's economy and create more jobs in each of our states." A significant player in the U.S. economy, the automotive industry employs eight million people in manufacturing, suppliers and dealers. This industry generates $500 billion in income for its employees and $70 billion in tax revenues. Missouri's automotive industry comprises 5.3 percent of the state labor force with 190,000 employees throughout the state.
In Missouri, the growing automotive supply chain was bolstered by recent announcements by Ford and General Motors of expansion to their manufacturing facilities. Last year, Ford announced a $1.1 billion investment in its Kansas City Assembly Plant, adding a second manufacturing line for the F-150 pickup truck in 2012 and bringing in a new product, the Transit commercial van, in 2013-an investment that will create 1,600 new jobs. Earlier this year, GM broke ground on a $380 million expansion at its Wentzville plant, adding 1,660 jobs and a new pickup line for the Chevy Colorado. "The rebirth of the American auto industry is happening right here in Missouri," Gov. Nixon said. "We have an unprecedented opportunity to create jobs by growing our network of automotive suppliers throughout the state. Already we've seen great progress with the new projects and expansions at Magna International, Johnson Controls, Spartan Light Metals, Bodine Aluminum, and TG USA. These are the types of new jobs we want to bring to every community across Missouri."
From the Detroit Free Press: The Canadian Auto Workers union expects to reach agreements with Detroit’s three automakers this fall without a work stoppage, CAW President Ken Lewenza said at the opening of bargaining in Toronto today. CAW contracts with General Motors, Ford and Chrysler expire at midnight Sept. 17. The CAW is usually serious about sticking to the deadline. Lewenza said it is too early to talk about the target. GM’s opening proposal expressed the importance of operations in Canada but called for changes to reduce hourly costs because Canada has become one of the most expensive places to build vehicles. The handshake opening with Chrysler was to occur late today and Ford follows on Wednesday. A big factor is the strength of the Canadian dollar, Lewenza said, something that cannot be bargained. And its high value is “unsustainable,” he said, so companies should not bargain a long-term agreement based on current rates which the union thinks is 20% overvalued. Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Tickets for a 50-50 raffle to support the SOS ride this Saturday will go on sale Thursday. Trustee Wanda Richard will be in the cafeteria at first break and then on the shop floor selling tickets on first shift and Kim Davis will be selling tickets on 2nd shift.
General Motors is recalling more than 10,000 full-size vans in the U.S. and Canada because the fuel filler pipes can rust, leak and cause fires. The recall affects Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans from the 2003 and 2004 model years with left-side cargo doors. It covers vans sold in 20 states, Washington, D.C., and in Canada, where salt and chemicals are used to clear snow from roads. GM said Tuesday salt and chemicals can get trapped in a conduit that covers the fuel filler pipe and cause corrosion. Gasoline may leak and cause a fire. The company said it doesn’t know of any fires or injuries from the problem. GM dealers will fix the problem free of charge.
Dealers are expected to be notified in October when parts become available. GM said in documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that owners already have been sent letters detailing special repair coverage for the problem. Owners know to take their vans to dealers if a leak develops. The vans were sold in all 50 states, but the recall affects only those sold or registered in Canada and the following states: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Owners with questions can call Chevrolet at (866) 694-6546 and GMC at (866) 996-9463. (The plant has been aware of this issue and a service bulletin had been issued to dealerships to correct the problem if it had occurred.)
The GM Korea Union has a tentative wage deal. Union members will vote on the tentative agreement on Thursday and Friday, union spokesman Choi Jong-hak told Dow Jones Newswires. The union agreed to a basic pay increase of 92,000 Korean won ($82) per person, performance-based bonus worth KRW5 million (about $4500) to be paid at the end of the year, and a lump-sum incentive payment of KRW3 million (about $2700), GM Korea spokesman Park Hae-ho said. On the issue of ending night shifts, the two parties have agreed to decide on the time frame for the new shift system in the first half of next year, Mr. Choi said.
Gov. Jay Nixon and the governors of Michigan, Tennessee and Illinois have founded the National Governors Auto Caucus to grow the auto industry and its suppliers, Gov. Nixon announced. The bi-partisan caucus, composed of Gov. Nixon, Gov. Richard Snyder (R-MI), Gov. Bill Haslam (R-TN), and Gov. Pat Quinn (D-IL), was introduced at an annual conference sponsored by the Center for Automotive Research in Traverse City, Michigan. "I look forward working with fellow Governors and experts in the industry to seek new ways to continue the recent growth in automotive manufacturing," said Gov. Nixon. "This partnership will help to strengthen the nation's economy and create more jobs in each of our states." A significant player in the U.S. economy, the automotive industry employs eight million people in manufacturing, suppliers and dealers. This industry generates $500 billion in income for its employees and $70 billion in tax revenues. Missouri's automotive industry comprises 5.3 percent of the state labor force with 190,000 employees throughout the state.
In Missouri, the growing automotive supply chain was bolstered by recent announcements by Ford and General Motors of expansion to their manufacturing facilities. Last year, Ford announced a $1.1 billion investment in its Kansas City Assembly Plant, adding a second manufacturing line for the F-150 pickup truck in 2012 and bringing in a new product, the Transit commercial van, in 2013-an investment that will create 1,600 new jobs. Earlier this year, GM broke ground on a $380 million expansion at its Wentzville plant, adding 1,660 jobs and a new pickup line for the Chevy Colorado. "The rebirth of the American auto industry is happening right here in Missouri," Gov. Nixon said. "We have an unprecedented opportunity to create jobs by growing our network of automotive suppliers throughout the state. Already we've seen great progress with the new projects and expansions at Magna International, Johnson Controls, Spartan Light Metals, Bodine Aluminum, and TG USA. These are the types of new jobs we want to bring to every community across Missouri."
From the Detroit Free Press: The Canadian Auto Workers union expects to reach agreements with Detroit’s three automakers this fall without a work stoppage, CAW President Ken Lewenza said at the opening of bargaining in Toronto today. CAW contracts with General Motors, Ford and Chrysler expire at midnight Sept. 17. The CAW is usually serious about sticking to the deadline. Lewenza said it is too early to talk about the target. GM’s opening proposal expressed the importance of operations in Canada but called for changes to reduce hourly costs because Canada has become one of the most expensive places to build vehicles. The handshake opening with Chrysler was to occur late today and Ford follows on Wednesday. A big factor is the strength of the Canadian dollar, Lewenza said, something that cannot be bargained. And its high value is “unsustainable,” he said, so companies should not bargain a long-term agreement based on current rates which the union thinks is 20% overvalued. Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Thursday, August 2, 2012
State of the Union August 2, 2012
August 2, 2012 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
• Chairman Mike Bullock and President Van Simpson announced today the International Union appointments of Lou Jones as Adapt representative, Donetta Calloway as Human Resource Development representative and Millie Donnelly as Alternate EAP representative. Mike and Van would like everyone to give them their full support in their new assignments.
• If you were hired as a New Hire in December, 2011, as of August 1styou have health care coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield by General Motors. However, YOU MUST call Fidelity at 800-489-4646 for health insurance, even if you don’t have dependents. If you have any questions, place a call to your Benefits Representative: Lisa Williams (636-327-2025), Russell Smith (636-327-2314) or Mike Bridgins (636-327-2112).
• As you saw yesterday, July was a breakout month for our van sales. Besides being our best July in 6 years, we outsold Ford by a wide margin and captured over 50% share, a rare achievement in any month since the van launch in 1996. Here is how the van segment shook out in July:
Over all, the industry reported sales on Wednesday of 1.15 million vehicles during July, which was an 8.9 percent improvement over the same period a year ago. That lags the 14.8 percent increase the industry recorded during the first six months of 2012. While sales are still on track to top 14 million vehicles for the entire year, analysts said growth appeared to be slowing somewhat. Industry incentives remained flat in July compared with the previous month, with an average discount per vehicle of about $2,200, according to Edmunds.com, an auto information site that compiles incentive data.
General Motors Co. today announced second quarter net income attributable to common stockholders of $1.5 billion, or $0.90 per fully diluted share. In the second quarter a year ago, GM’s net income attributable to common stockholders was $2.5 billion, or $1.54 per fully diluted share.
Net revenue in the second quarter of 2012 was $37.6 billion, compared with $39.4 billion in the second quarter of 2011. The decrease was due almost entirely to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar versus other major currencies. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) adjusted was $2.1 billion, compared with $3.0 billion in the second quarter of 2011. Total restructuring expense included in EBIT-adjusted for the second quarter of 2012 was $0.1 billion.
“Our results in North America, our International Operations and at GM Financial were solid but we clearly have more work to do to offset the headwinds we face, especially in regions like Europe and South America,” said GM chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “Despite the challenging environment, GM has now achieved 10 consecutive quarters of profitability, which is a milestone the company has not achieved in more than a decade.”
GM North America (GMNA) reported EBIT-adjusted of $2.0 billion, compared with $2.2 billion in the second quarter of 2011. (Total GMNA profits for the first 6 months are $3.656 billion, which equates to $3500 in profit sharing)
GM Europe (GME) reported an EBIT-adjusted loss of $0.4 billion, compared with EBIT-adjusted of $0.1 billion in second quarter of 2011.
GM International Operations (GMIO) reported EBIT-adjusted of $0.6 billion, equal to the second quarter of 2011.
GM South America (GMSA) reported breakeven results on an EBIT-adjusted basis, compared with EBIT-adjusted of $0.1 billion in the second quarter of 2011. The second quarter 2012 results include $0.1 billion in restructuring expenses.
GM Financial earnings before tax was $0.2 billion for the quarter, compared with $0.1 billion a year ago.
In the Corporate segment, GM reported EBIT-adjusted of $(0.2) billion, of which $(0.1) billion was attributable to a non-cash foreign exchange loss. For the quarter, automotive cash flow from operating activities was $3.8 billion and automotive free cash flow was $1.7 billion. GM ended the quarter with very strong total automotive liquidity of $38.5 billion. Automotive cash and marketable securities was $32.6 billion, compared with $31.5 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2012.
At the end of the first quarter, GM indicated that GMNA’s results for the second and third quarters of 2012 were expected to be comparable to the first quarter. Second quarter GMNA results were stronger in part due to timing of spending that was deferred to the third quarter. GM continues to expect that the average of its second and third quarter EBIT-adjusted in GMNA will be comparable to first quarter results. “We’re executing an aggressive product plan around the world, and at the same time we are working systematically to simplify the business and truly leverage our scale to grow our margins,” said Dan Ammann, senior vice president and CFO.
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
• Chairman Mike Bullock and President Van Simpson announced today the International Union appointments of Lou Jones as Adapt representative, Donetta Calloway as Human Resource Development representative and Millie Donnelly as Alternate EAP representative. Mike and Van would like everyone to give them their full support in their new assignments.
• If you were hired as a New Hire in December, 2011, as of August 1styou have health care coverage through Blue Cross Blue Shield by General Motors. However, YOU MUST call Fidelity at 800-489-4646 for health insurance, even if you don’t have dependents. If you have any questions, place a call to your Benefits Representative: Lisa Williams (636-327-2025), Russell Smith (636-327-2314) or Mike Bridgins (636-327-2112).
• As you saw yesterday, July was a breakout month for our van sales. Besides being our best July in 6 years, we outsold Ford by a wide margin and captured over 50% share, a rare achievement in any month since the van launch in 1996. Here is how the van segment shook out in July:
| 2012 | 2011 | Change | Share | |
| GM | 11,980 | 6562 | +82.6% | 51.2% |
| Ford Econoline | 8,574 | 8802 | -2.6% | 36.6% |
| Mercedes Sprinter | 2203 | 1732 | +27% | 9.4% |
| Nissan NV | 651 | 679 | -4% | 2.8% |
| Ford Transit connect | 2627 | 2607 | +1% | --- |
Over all, the industry reported sales on Wednesday of 1.15 million vehicles during July, which was an 8.9 percent improvement over the same period a year ago. That lags the 14.8 percent increase the industry recorded during the first six months of 2012. While sales are still on track to top 14 million vehicles for the entire year, analysts said growth appeared to be slowing somewhat. Industry incentives remained flat in July compared with the previous month, with an average discount per vehicle of about $2,200, according to Edmunds.com, an auto information site that compiles incentive data.
General Motors Co. today announced second quarter net income attributable to common stockholders of $1.5 billion, or $0.90 per fully diluted share. In the second quarter a year ago, GM’s net income attributable to common stockholders was $2.5 billion, or $1.54 per fully diluted share.
Net revenue in the second quarter of 2012 was $37.6 billion, compared with $39.4 billion in the second quarter of 2011. The decrease was due almost entirely to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar versus other major currencies. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) adjusted was $2.1 billion, compared with $3.0 billion in the second quarter of 2011. Total restructuring expense included in EBIT-adjusted for the second quarter of 2012 was $0.1 billion.
“Our results in North America, our International Operations and at GM Financial were solid but we clearly have more work to do to offset the headwinds we face, especially in regions like Europe and South America,” said GM chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. “Despite the challenging environment, GM has now achieved 10 consecutive quarters of profitability, which is a milestone the company has not achieved in more than a decade.”
GM North America (GMNA) reported EBIT-adjusted of $2.0 billion, compared with $2.2 billion in the second quarter of 2011. (Total GMNA profits for the first 6 months are $3.656 billion, which equates to $3500 in profit sharing)
GM Europe (GME) reported an EBIT-adjusted loss of $0.4 billion, compared with EBIT-adjusted of $0.1 billion in second quarter of 2011.
GM International Operations (GMIO) reported EBIT-adjusted of $0.6 billion, equal to the second quarter of 2011.
GM South America (GMSA) reported breakeven results on an EBIT-adjusted basis, compared with EBIT-adjusted of $0.1 billion in the second quarter of 2011. The second quarter 2012 results include $0.1 billion in restructuring expenses.
GM Financial earnings before tax was $0.2 billion for the quarter, compared with $0.1 billion a year ago.
In the Corporate segment, GM reported EBIT-adjusted of $(0.2) billion, of which $(0.1) billion was attributable to a non-cash foreign exchange loss. For the quarter, automotive cash flow from operating activities was $3.8 billion and automotive free cash flow was $1.7 billion. GM ended the quarter with very strong total automotive liquidity of $38.5 billion. Automotive cash and marketable securities was $32.6 billion, compared with $31.5 billion at the end of the first quarter of 2012.
At the end of the first quarter, GM indicated that GMNA’s results for the second and third quarters of 2012 were expected to be comparable to the first quarter. Second quarter GMNA results were stronger in part due to timing of spending that was deferred to the third quarter. GM continues to expect that the average of its second and third quarter EBIT-adjusted in GMNA will be comparable to first quarter results. “We’re executing an aggressive product plan around the world, and at the same time we are working systematically to simplify the business and truly leverage our scale to grow our margins,” said Dan Ammann, senior vice president and CFO.
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)