April 19, 2013 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Attention Entry Level employees: Participants in the Flexible Spending Account program must apply for reimbursement of eligible expenses for the 2012 plan year (Jan. 1, 2012 – March 15, 2013) by next Tuesday, April 30. For employee claims, go to benefitsolutions.bankofamerica.com or call (866) 567-3993. For dependent claims go to acclarisonline.comor call (866) 203-9358.
Here is an opinion piece from Mike Colias of Automotive News about the upcoming midsize trucks we will be building:
Mark Reuss says the next-generation Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon mid-sized pickups will be so much better than the bland outgoing models, General Motors might come up with new names. "We're targeting a new generation of buyer with a new truck," the GM North America president told reporters this week.
That's good. Because GM's entire pickup strategy relies greatly on the success of those new mid-sized offerings. Sticking with a mid-sized pickup is a big bet that diverges from rivals Ford and Chrysler, which have walked away from the segment.
GM's rivals don't seem to expect a revival in the shrunken market for mid-sized pickups. It's shriveled to just 264,197 units last year, from more than a 1 million in 2000, when the Ford Ranger, Chevy S-10 and Dodge Dakota were showroom staples.
Somewhere along the way, the line between full- and mid-sized pickup blurred. Most buyers didn't see the logic in opting for a smaller truck that didn't offer a whole lot better fuel economy -- or a much cheaper sticker price.
But Reuss contends that full-sized trucks can't be all things to all buyers. They are workhorses for people who use their trucks for a living. The mid-sized trucks will be for people who like the functionality of a truck but don't need big towing capacity and want better gas mileage. Want the same 25 mpg highway rating on the Ram 1500? You won't be able to get it on either of GM's redesigned full-sized pickups, the Silverado and Sierra, which should hit showrooms in June. But how about the new Colorado or Canyon?
That in a nutshell will be GM's strategy once the redesigned mid-sized pickups land in late 2014. So how can GM unblur that line between full- and mid-sized?
It must give consumers a clear choice: A mid-sized pickup that offers styling, features and fuel economy that a full-sized pickup can't sniff. A diesel engine, for example, would give those smaller pickups a sizeable mpg edge over its bigger brethern.
Reuss wouldn't comment on prospects for a diesel engine. But he did promise that GM will "attack the West coast with a lifestyle truck that is really beautiful and fun."
When they're unveiled this fall, the new Colorado and Canyon -- or whatever GM decides to call them -- will raise the curtain on one of the most interesting chess matches unfolding in the auto industry.
The new 2014 Chevrolet Cruze Clean Turbo Dieseldelivers an industry best EPA-estimated 46 MPG on the highway – better than any non-hybrid passenger car in America. It will be available in certain cities this spring and nationwide and in Canada in early fall. Equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission, the latest addition to the Cruze powertrain family has an estimated range of 700 highway miles on one tank of diesel fuel based on the EPA highway estimate and the vehicle’s fuel tank capacity. That’s about 10 hours of highway driving. “We harnessed generations of diesel expertise to adapt our world-class global engine for the North American market,” said Gary Altman, chief engineer, Chevrolet Cruze Diesel. “The Cruze Diesel is the best diesel passenger car out there. Chevrolet is redefining the meaning of great fuel economy with this car.” With a starting price of $25,695, including an $810 destination charge, the Chevrolet Cruze Diesel is a better value than a similarly equipped VW Jetta TDI automatic. Compared with Jetta, the Cruze Diesel offers standard equipment including the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, larger 17-inch alloy wheels, leather-appointed seating, a longer five-year 100,000-mile powertrain limited warranty, and a two-year maintenance plan. Cruze Diesel also beats its rivals in performance with a segment-leading estimated 148 horsepower (110 kW) and estimated 258 lb-ft of torque (350 Nm), and can go 0-60 in about 8.6 seconds. Its advanced 2.0L turbo-diesel engine has an overboost feature capable of increasing torque to an estimated 280 lb-ft (380 Nm) for short bursts of stronger acceleration when needed, such as entering freeway traffic. Cruze Diesel is powered by the cleanest diesel passenger car engine produced by General Motors. The vehicle generates 90 percent less Nitrogen Oxide (NOx) and particulate emissions when compared to previous-generation diesels. Chevrolet has sold more than 2 million Cruze models globally since it was launched in mid-2010. More than 33,000 of those were diesel powered.
From the Chattanooga Times Free Press: Volkswagen AG told 500 contract employees supplied by Aerotek at its Chattanooga assembly plant that it is cutting 15 percent of the workforce and they will be laid off. VW uses the staffing agency to screen, hire and provide temporary production jobs in the plant. VW executives blamed slower-than-expected growth in Passat sales and said they're doing away with a third production shift at the factory. Frank Fischer, who heads VW in Chattanooga, said the job cuts are unrelated to reports last month that VW officials in Europe are weighing the startup of negotiations with the United Auto Workers about a works council in Chattanooga. He said the company is asking the laid-off workers if they want to be recalled later. After the job cuts, Aerotek will have about 100 employees at the plant and about 30 others will be offered status as VW workers, Fischer said. He said those losing their jobs are to be paid through June.
GM will announce 1st quarter earnings Thursday, May 2. Ford will announce April 24 and Chrysler on April 29.
The Cadillac XTS and the Chevrolet Spark were 2 of the winners in Wards Auto’s 10-best interiors for 2013.
General Motors executives said they expect China auto sales to balloon to about 35 million vehicles by 2022, which would make the market bigger than the U.S. and Europe combined.
March European vehicle sales for Volkswagen, Europe's biggest automaker, slid 9 percent. Ford Motor's sales slid 15.8 percent, while General Motors' tumbled 12.6 percent.
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
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