October 30, 2013 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
The Community Services Committee is having a raffle with the proceeds going to supplement the upcoming Adopt A Child program. First place is an Amish Quilt. Second place is at $100 QT gas card. Third place is 2 Blues tickets to the Dec. 7 game. Tickets are $1 apiece or 6 for $5 and can be purchased from any committee member. Drawing will be held next Thursday, Nov. 7 at 10:30 am in the cafeteria. Thanks in advance for your support.
GM announced financial results for the 3rd quarter this morning. A summary of the report is on the back, but we will cut to the chase: GM North America (the driver of our profit sharing payout) earned $2.2 billion, up from $1.7 billion last year. That brings the cumulative total for profit sharing this year to $5500.
The flu shot drawing was held yesterday. Good news – everyone who submitted an entry will receive a flu shot. A schedule for distributing the shots is being put together and will be communicated as soon as it is complete.
If you still need to buy Halloween candy, there are many good Union made options from our sisters and brothers in the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union (BCTGM), United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and United Farm Workers of America (UFW). They make dozens of tasty treats including favorites such as Hershey Kisses, Clark Bar, Kit Kat, Jolly Rancher, Baby Ruth, Butterfinger and many, many more.
The November schedule is out. Beginning Monday, Nov. 18, the schedule goes from 544/8 hours to 652/9.6 hours for the remainder of the month (as always, this is subject to change). Once again, Wednesday, Nov. 27 is a scheduled day off, creating a 5-day weekend around Thanksgiving. Looking ahead, it has been confirmed that there will be extra downtime after the Christmas break, with production scheduled to resume on Monday, Jan. 13.
Chrysler also reported their 3rd quarter financial results today. Net income rose to $464 million in the third quarter as strong sales of pickups and SUVs offset delays in launching the 2014 Jeep Cherokee. The third-quarter profit was up 22 percent from the $381 million profit it posted during the same quarter of 2012, Chrysler said. It was Chrysler's ninth consecutive quarterly profit. The automaker's U.S. sales rose 8 percent to 603,000 vehicles in the quarter, compared to an industry average of 12 percent. Third-quarter revenue grew 13.5 percent to $17.6 billion. Revenue for the third quarter of 2012 was $15.5 billion.
General Motors Co. today announced third quarter net income to common stockholders of $0.7 billion or $0.45 per fully diluted share, down from $1.5 billion or $0.89 per fully diluted share a year ago. Improvement in operating performance during the quarter was more than offset by a net loss from special items and incremental tax expense. Net income to common includes a net loss from special items of $0.9 billion or $0.51 per fully diluted share, including $0.8 billion related to the repurchase of 120 million shares of Preferred Series A Stock. Results were also impacted by incremental tax expense of $0.5 billion or $0.29 per fully diluted share in the quarter compared to the third quarter of 2012.
Net revenue during the quarter was $39.0 billion compared to $37.6 billion in the third quarter of 2012. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) adjusted was $2.6 billion compared to $2.3 billion in the third quarter of 2012. “We made gains in the third quarter as we improved our North American margins and increased our global share on the strength of our Chevrolet brand," said Dan Akerson, GM chairman and CEO. “Our efforts to build great cars and trucks and deliver solid financial results were recognized this quarter by Moody’s investment grade rating.”
GM Results Overview (in billions except for per share amounts)
Q3 2013 Q3 2012
Revenue $39.0 $37.6
Net income attributable to common stockholders $0.7 $1.5
Earnings per share (EPS) fully diluted $0.45 $0.89
Impact of special items on EPS fully diluted $(0.51) $(0.04)
EBIT-adjusted $2.6 $2.3
Automotive net cash flow from operating activities $3.3 $3.1
Adjusted automotive free cash flow $1.3 $1.2
Segment Results
GM North America reported EBIT-adjusted of $2.2 billion compared with $1.7 billion in the third quarter of 2012.
GM North American profit for the first three quarters of 2013 is $5.57 billion, which equates to $5500 in hourly profit sharing
GM Europe reported EBIT-adjusted of $(0.2) billion compared with $(0.5) billion in the third quarter of 2012.
GM International Operations reported EBIT-adjusted of $0.3 billion compared with $0.8 billion in the third quarter of 2012.
GM South America reported EBIT-adjusted of $0.3 billion compared with EBIT-adjusted of $0.2 billion in the third quarter of 2012.
GM Financial earnings before tax was $0.2 billion for the quarter compared to $0.2 billion in the third quarter of 2012.
Cash Flow and Liquidity
For the quarter automotive cash flow from operating activities was $3.3 billion and adjusted automotive free cash flow was $1.3 billion. GM ended the quarter with very strong total automotive liquidity of $37.3 billion. Automotive cash and marketable securities was $26.8 billion compared with $24.2 billion for the second quarter of 2013.
“During the quarter strong demand for new vehicles like the Cadillac ATS, Chevrolet Onix and the all-new Chevrolet Silverado helped boost our top-line,” said Dan Ammann, GM executive vice president and CFO. “We also further strengthened our fortress balance sheet and reduced our cost of capital through our $4.5 billion refinancing of high cost obligations.”
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Monday, October 21, 2013
State of the Union October 21, 2013
October 21, 2013 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
The Diversity Celebration has been rescheduled for this Thursday, Oct. 24. It will be held in the cafeteria and feature displays from various ethnic groups and free popcorn.
Weekly build options: 33 E-26 vans; 643 cutaways (24%); 372 slider doors; 24 r/h door deletes; 134 15-pass vans; 59 diesels; 6 YF7s; 37 brake deck spare tire; 428 Onstar; 5.29% AWD; .99% tan interior trim; 44 exports (37 Mexico); 52 CNG vans; 28 Enterprise; 50 AT&T; 118 U-Haul; 5 government; 86.4% white vans.
From Automotive News: With the White House seeking to finalize a trade treaty deal by year end, Japanese automakers and the Detroit 3 are embroiled in a good old-fashioned trade war. Japanese manufacturers see a trade agreement as a chance to get rid of the "chicken tax," a 25 percent U.S. tariff that makes it uneconomical to import pickup trucks from Japan. But U.S. automakers are resisting, arguing that Japan should not be rewarded when its car market is virtually closed to U.S. imports. Last month, spurred by automakers such as Ford Motor Co., 60 U.S. senators signed a letter that called on the White House to take a hard line on currency manipulation in trade deals -- a veiled jab at Japan, which has taken anti-inflationary measures that have weakened the yen and helped its exporters.
"You will never find American politicians talking about changing the value of the dollar to spur exports," said Matt Blunt, the former Missouri governor who as head of the American Automotive Policy Council is leading the charge in Washington on behalf of the Detroit 3. "It happens all the time in Japan." Japanese brands hit back last Tuesday, in the form of a letter to the president from Rep. Alan Nunnelee of Mississippi and Rep. Pete Gallego of Texas, spotlighting the economic value of the U.S. dealerships and assembly plants that Japanese brands support. Both lawmakers represent districts that are home to Toyota assembly plants. The Japanese companies have less at stake on the tariff question than they did in the 1970s, now that they make most of their U.S.-bound vehicles in North America. But every month that those tariffs stay in place costs them millions of dollars. Consider the Toyota Prius, one of the best-selling cars in the United States still exclusively produced outside North America. Toyota sold 186,756 units of the Prius, Prius C and Prius V through the first nine months of 2013. All three variants are imported from Japan and face a 2.5 percent passenger-car tariff at U.S. ports. Assuming an average taxable value of $25,000 for the cars, Toyota's tariffs for the Prius nameplate would average $625 per car, or nearly $117 million in the first nine months of this year alone.
From the Detroit Free Press: While Bob King will be president of the UAW for another nine months, preparations are already under way to select his successor and the most likely candidate is Dennis Williams. Attention is shifting to Williams because of a meeting scheduled next month by the union’s administrative caucus, which is essentially a political party charged with selecting nominees for all the union’s top offices. Williams, 60,has been the UAW’s secretary-treasurer since 2010 and served as a regional director based out of the Chicago area for 10 years before that. “I think (Williams) is a very capable leader. He is somebody who has a larger vision. And he is somebody who knows how to realize that vision,” said Harley Shaiken, professor of labor studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Jimmy Settles, vice president of the union’s Ford department, was once viewed as a possible successor to King, but he is no longer seeking the position. “I am not a candidate,” Settles told the Free Press last week. “At one time I was interested. I am not now.” UAW spokeswoman Michele Martin declined to comment. Several UAW officials and other UAW insiders told the Free Press that Williams is widely viewed as a leading candidate to become the union’s next president because of his achievements as regional director, the respect he has earned over the last four years and his ties to the administration of President Barack Obama. In addition, Williams has played a key role in the UAW’s organizing efforts with Asian and German automakers. In 1989, Williams negotiated the union's first contract with Mitsubishi Motors at the company's Normal, Ill., plant. He also was part of the team that negotiated contracts with Caterpillar in 2011 and 2004. In 2007, Williams played a central role in then-Sen. Barack Obama’s upset win in the Iowa caucuses that launched his successful presidential candidacy, according to his official UAW biography. “He met and worked with Barack Obama at a much earlier point in his career and was one of the first labor leaders who endorsed him,” Shaiken said. The union needs to elect a new president because King is 67 and UAW bylaws prohibit anyone older than 65 from taking elected office. That provision also eliminates Joe Ashton, the 65-year-old vice president of the union’s General Motors department.
From Agence France-Presse: The United Auto Workers is ratcheting up pressure on Nissan in the hopes it may finally succeed at organizing the Japanese automaker's plant in the typically anti-union southern US state of Mississippi. It has taken its campaign to the world stage in a bid to pressure Nissan to cease what the UAW has called union-busting tactics. The UAW 's efforts have won the endorsement of Nissan's Japanese unions and sympathetic unions have staged demonstrations protesting Nissan's tactics in Brazil and at the Geneva auto show. The UAW is hoping to gain the backing of the powerful French unions of Nissan's partner Renault by bringing workers to Paris this week to describe their plight. "The UAW's approach in Mississippi has been very innovative and very patient," said Harley Shaiken, a labor expert from the University of California, Berkley. The aggressive campaign comes as the UAW celebrates a big break in its decades-long efforts to organize the plants of foreign automakers. Volkswagen is currently engaged in talks with the UAW about how to get employees at its Tennessee plant a seat on the German automaker's works council. The UAW has never managed to organize workers at the plants of foreign automakers except in a handful of joint ventures with unionized General Motors, Ford or Chrysler. But UAW president Bob King insists the tide is finally turning. "We've never been this far along in an organizing drive in the South," King said in a recent interview. "It's going really well."
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
The Diversity Celebration has been rescheduled for this Thursday, Oct. 24. It will be held in the cafeteria and feature displays from various ethnic groups and free popcorn.
Weekly build options: 33 E-26 vans; 643 cutaways (24%); 372 slider doors; 24 r/h door deletes; 134 15-pass vans; 59 diesels; 6 YF7s; 37 brake deck spare tire; 428 Onstar; 5.29% AWD; .99% tan interior trim; 44 exports (37 Mexico); 52 CNG vans; 28 Enterprise; 50 AT&T; 118 U-Haul; 5 government; 86.4% white vans.
From Automotive News: With the White House seeking to finalize a trade treaty deal by year end, Japanese automakers and the Detroit 3 are embroiled in a good old-fashioned trade war. Japanese manufacturers see a trade agreement as a chance to get rid of the "chicken tax," a 25 percent U.S. tariff that makes it uneconomical to import pickup trucks from Japan. But U.S. automakers are resisting, arguing that Japan should not be rewarded when its car market is virtually closed to U.S. imports. Last month, spurred by automakers such as Ford Motor Co., 60 U.S. senators signed a letter that called on the White House to take a hard line on currency manipulation in trade deals -- a veiled jab at Japan, which has taken anti-inflationary measures that have weakened the yen and helped its exporters.
"You will never find American politicians talking about changing the value of the dollar to spur exports," said Matt Blunt, the former Missouri governor who as head of the American Automotive Policy Council is leading the charge in Washington on behalf of the Detroit 3. "It happens all the time in Japan." Japanese brands hit back last Tuesday, in the form of a letter to the president from Rep. Alan Nunnelee of Mississippi and Rep. Pete Gallego of Texas, spotlighting the economic value of the U.S. dealerships and assembly plants that Japanese brands support. Both lawmakers represent districts that are home to Toyota assembly plants. The Japanese companies have less at stake on the tariff question than they did in the 1970s, now that they make most of their U.S.-bound vehicles in North America. But every month that those tariffs stay in place costs them millions of dollars. Consider the Toyota Prius, one of the best-selling cars in the United States still exclusively produced outside North America. Toyota sold 186,756 units of the Prius, Prius C and Prius V through the first nine months of 2013. All three variants are imported from Japan and face a 2.5 percent passenger-car tariff at U.S. ports. Assuming an average taxable value of $25,000 for the cars, Toyota's tariffs for the Prius nameplate would average $625 per car, or nearly $117 million in the first nine months of this year alone.
From the Detroit Free Press: While Bob King will be president of the UAW for another nine months, preparations are already under way to select his successor and the most likely candidate is Dennis Williams. Attention is shifting to Williams because of a meeting scheduled next month by the union’s administrative caucus, which is essentially a political party charged with selecting nominees for all the union’s top offices. Williams, 60,has been the UAW’s secretary-treasurer since 2010 and served as a regional director based out of the Chicago area for 10 years before that. “I think (Williams) is a very capable leader. He is somebody who has a larger vision. And he is somebody who knows how to realize that vision,” said Harley Shaiken, professor of labor studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Jimmy Settles, vice president of the union’s Ford department, was once viewed as a possible successor to King, but he is no longer seeking the position. “I am not a candidate,” Settles told the Free Press last week. “At one time I was interested. I am not now.” UAW spokeswoman Michele Martin declined to comment. Several UAW officials and other UAW insiders told the Free Press that Williams is widely viewed as a leading candidate to become the union’s next president because of his achievements as regional director, the respect he has earned over the last four years and his ties to the administration of President Barack Obama. In addition, Williams has played a key role in the UAW’s organizing efforts with Asian and German automakers. In 1989, Williams negotiated the union's first contract with Mitsubishi Motors at the company's Normal, Ill., plant. He also was part of the team that negotiated contracts with Caterpillar in 2011 and 2004. In 2007, Williams played a central role in then-Sen. Barack Obama’s upset win in the Iowa caucuses that launched his successful presidential candidacy, according to his official UAW biography. “He met and worked with Barack Obama at a much earlier point in his career and was one of the first labor leaders who endorsed him,” Shaiken said. The union needs to elect a new president because King is 67 and UAW bylaws prohibit anyone older than 65 from taking elected office. That provision also eliminates Joe Ashton, the 65-year-old vice president of the union’s General Motors department.
From Agence France-Presse: The United Auto Workers is ratcheting up pressure on Nissan in the hopes it may finally succeed at organizing the Japanese automaker's plant in the typically anti-union southern US state of Mississippi. It has taken its campaign to the world stage in a bid to pressure Nissan to cease what the UAW has called union-busting tactics. The UAW 's efforts have won the endorsement of Nissan's Japanese unions and sympathetic unions have staged demonstrations protesting Nissan's tactics in Brazil and at the Geneva auto show. The UAW is hoping to gain the backing of the powerful French unions of Nissan's partner Renault by bringing workers to Paris this week to describe their plight. "The UAW's approach in Mississippi has been very innovative and very patient," said Harley Shaiken, a labor expert from the University of California, Berkley. The aggressive campaign comes as the UAW celebrates a big break in its decades-long efforts to organize the plants of foreign automakers. Volkswagen is currently engaged in talks with the UAW about how to get employees at its Tennessee plant a seat on the German automaker's works council. The UAW has never managed to organize workers at the plants of foreign automakers except in a handful of joint ventures with unionized General Motors, Ford or Chrysler. But UAW president Bob King insists the tide is finally turning. "We've never been this far along in an organizing drive in the South," King said in a recent interview. "It's going really well."
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Thursday, October 17, 2013
State of the Union October 17, 2013
October 17, 2013 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
The Diversity Celebration has been rescheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 24. It will be held in the cafeteria and feature displays from various ethnic groups and free popcorn.
General Motors will announce 3rd quarter earnings Wednesday, Oct. 30. In case you’re wondering, accumulated profit sharing year-to-date is $3250.
From Bloomberg: The UAW Chrysler Health Care Trust said its assets grew by $1.58 billion last year, more than half of which came from the rising value of its Chrysler holding. The trust’s net assets grew by 18 percent in 2012 to $10.3 billion, according to its 2012 financial statement, filed Oct. 11. Almost $900 million of the gain resulted from an increase in the value it placed on its Chrysler stake. Expenditures for benefits rose less than 0.1 percent to $631.1 million.
Health-care trusts for retirees from General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. also reported increases, a reversal after the three funds showed losses for 2011. Chrysler’s trust, organized as voluntary employee beneficiary plan, or VEBA, had lost $733.6 million a year earlier. Its liabilities more than doubled last year to $349.6 million. The GM UAW retiree health-care trust ended 2012 with almost $30 billion in net assets, 5.8 percent increase from the beginning of the year, according to records filed with the U.S. Department of Labor on Oct. 11. The trust completed 2012 with a net income of $1.65 billion compared with a $4.7 billion loss in 2011. The GM VEBA paid $2.48 billion in benefits and reported $170 million in administrative expenses. In September, Detroit-based GM said it plans to buy back almost half of the trust’s preferred shares in the automaker for $3.2 billion. The Ford UAW retiree health care trust ended 2012 with $15.9 billion in net assets, a 5.4 percent increase from the beginning of the year, according to its filing. The trust ended the year with net income of $806.8 million compared with a $973 million loss in 2011. The Ford VEBA paid $1.05 billion in benefits and $75.8 million in administrative expenses.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has been adamant that VW’s flirtation with union representation is bad for business in his state and is causing some companies to reconsider moving operations there. “Companies… have said that in looking at Tennessee, ‘that is a concern of ours.’ I am not anti-union. I think it will have repercussions on additional job development in Tennessee.” Ironically, he made this statement at a news conference announcing that South Korean tire maker Hankook Tire Co. plans to invest $800 million in the state on a brand new tire plant.
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
The Diversity Celebration has been rescheduled for next Thursday, Oct. 24. It will be held in the cafeteria and feature displays from various ethnic groups and free popcorn.
General Motors will announce 3rd quarter earnings Wednesday, Oct. 30. In case you’re wondering, accumulated profit sharing year-to-date is $3250.
From Bloomberg: The UAW Chrysler Health Care Trust said its assets grew by $1.58 billion last year, more than half of which came from the rising value of its Chrysler holding. The trust’s net assets grew by 18 percent in 2012 to $10.3 billion, according to its 2012 financial statement, filed Oct. 11. Almost $900 million of the gain resulted from an increase in the value it placed on its Chrysler stake. Expenditures for benefits rose less than 0.1 percent to $631.1 million.
Health-care trusts for retirees from General Motors Co. and Ford Motor Co. also reported increases, a reversal after the three funds showed losses for 2011. Chrysler’s trust, organized as voluntary employee beneficiary plan, or VEBA, had lost $733.6 million a year earlier. Its liabilities more than doubled last year to $349.6 million. The GM UAW retiree health-care trust ended 2012 with almost $30 billion in net assets, 5.8 percent increase from the beginning of the year, according to records filed with the U.S. Department of Labor on Oct. 11. The trust completed 2012 with a net income of $1.65 billion compared with a $4.7 billion loss in 2011. The GM VEBA paid $2.48 billion in benefits and reported $170 million in administrative expenses. In September, Detroit-based GM said it plans to buy back almost half of the trust’s preferred shares in the automaker for $3.2 billion. The Ford UAW retiree health care trust ended 2012 with $15.9 billion in net assets, a 5.4 percent increase from the beginning of the year, according to its filing. The trust ended the year with net income of $806.8 million compared with a $973 million loss in 2011. The Ford VEBA paid $1.05 billion in benefits and $75.8 million in administrative expenses.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has been adamant that VW’s flirtation with union representation is bad for business in his state and is causing some companies to reconsider moving operations there. “Companies… have said that in looking at Tennessee, ‘that is a concern of ours.’ I am not anti-union. I think it will have repercussions on additional job development in Tennessee.” Ironically, he made this statement at a news conference announcing that South Korean tire maker Hankook Tire Co. plans to invest $800 million in the state on a brand new tire plant.
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
State of the Union October 14, 2013
October 14, 2013 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
Union meeting is this week: 15 minutes after longest 2nd shift linetime of Tuesday’s shift; Wednesday at 7:15 am, 2:45 pm, and 15 minutes after longest 1st shift linetime.
The Community Services Committee will be having a meeting Thursday, Oct. 17 between shifts in the cafeteria. As always, anyone wishing to become a member is welcome to attend.
We’ve all heard about the new GM Employee Discount: Bigger, Simpler, Better. But is that really true? SOTU did an apples to apples comparison to find out. A 2013 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ stickers at $42,220.
Under the old discount format, there was a “preferred price”, consumer cash and employee vehicle allowance (EVA), with all of this culminating in your employee price. For this vehicle, the preferred price was $40, 278.77. On Sept. 17, the consumer cash amount was $1500 and the EVA was another $1500, resulting in a final price of $37,278.77. This is a total discount of $4942 or 11.7%. This same vehicle now has an employee price of $38,273.99 and comes with $2000 consumer cash for a final price of $36,273.99. That’s a discount of $5947 or 14.1%. Based on this comparison, the answers to all three claims is true. And GM has just announced bonus cash on several 2013 and 2014 vehicles of $600 to $3000 depending on the model. The 2014 Chevy Impala that is currently in the cafeteria is the recipient of $1000 bonus cash. And that Traverse gets another $1000.
This offer is good through the end of the month. More details are available at gmfamilyfirst.com. And remember, temporary employees get the discount along with aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
From Reuters: Volkswagen AG's top executives are divided over whether and how workers at the company's Tennessee assembly plant should be represented by a union, but ultimately will insist on a formal vote by those employees, a person with knowledge of the VW board's thinking said. While VW's U.S. executives are hostile to the UAW, the eight-member management board may still ask the union to help set up a German-style employee board at the Chattanooga plant, said the person, who asked not to be identified. The top executives feel that any final decision must be approved by the workers in a secret ballot to protect VW's reputation and assuage investors and U.S. politicians, said the source, who did not identify the VW executives. UAW leaders have said such a vote would allow anti-union forces to scare workers into voting against the union. The UAW has said it has support of the majority of the 1,567 hourly workers at the Tennessee plant.
UAW President Bob King told Reuters last month the union, seeking to avoid what it fears would be a divisive election process, would like the German automaker to voluntarily recognize the union as the plant's bargaining unit. Critics argue such an approach would be undemocratic. An employee in the plant's paint shop, Mike Burton, said he has gathered more than 600 signatures from VW Chattanooga hourly employees on an anti-UAW petition. A VW spokesman declined to comment beyond the company's past confirmation of talks with the UAW and that any decision would be made by the employees. VW's U.S. executives have said in the past, however, that the plant workers would need to vote on such a decision. Gary Casteel, director for the UAW region that includes Tennessee, said on Thursday that the union continues to have ongoing discussions with Volkswagen, adding that he has not heard of any decision by the VW management board on whether it will recognize the UAW.
Weekly build options: 43 E-26 vans; 559 cutaways (21%); 421 slider doors; 27 r/h door deletes; 106 15-pass vans; 95 diesels; 28 YF7s; 12 brake deck spare tire; 438 Onstar; 5.16% AWD; .49% tan interior trim; 76 exports (37 Mexico, 31 Israel); 50 CNG vans; 154 Enterprise; 50 AT&T; 113 U-Haul; 43 government; 87.3% white vans.
From Automotive News: As Nissan completes the first redesign of its Titan full-sized pickup, the company hopes to broaden the truck's appeal with more configurations aimed at fleet buyers. But attracting fleet and basic work truck customers will require more of a value pitch this time -- in contrast to the more upmarket focus of the first Titan. "Increased variation is important," says Rich Miller, Nissan's chief product specialist in charge of the next Titan. "The current Titan just didn't hit the work customer as strongly as it should have," Miller says. "We had one engine, a premium V-8. "It's hard for a work truck customer to consider that. They shop price and capability, and usually in that order. When you don't offer a regular-cab, six-cylinder, stripped-down truck, you're out of that market. That's where we need to go in the new generation." It will be an uphill fight. General Motors has become the industry leader in truck product quality, according to J.D. Power and Associates' 2013 Initial Quality Study. And setbacks and delays in the Titan's product schedule have left Nissan holding its place with a pickup that Consumer Reports calls "lackluster" and "dated."
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Union meeting is this week: 15 minutes after longest 2nd shift linetime of Tuesday’s shift; Wednesday at 7:15 am, 2:45 pm, and 15 minutes after longest 1st shift linetime.
The Community Services Committee will be having a meeting Thursday, Oct. 17 between shifts in the cafeteria. As always, anyone wishing to become a member is welcome to attend.
We’ve all heard about the new GM Employee Discount: Bigger, Simpler, Better. But is that really true? SOTU did an apples to apples comparison to find out. A 2013 Chevrolet Traverse LTZ stickers at $42,220.
Under the old discount format, there was a “preferred price”, consumer cash and employee vehicle allowance (EVA), with all of this culminating in your employee price. For this vehicle, the preferred price was $40, 278.77. On Sept. 17, the consumer cash amount was $1500 and the EVA was another $1500, resulting in a final price of $37,278.77. This is a total discount of $4942 or 11.7%. This same vehicle now has an employee price of $38,273.99 and comes with $2000 consumer cash for a final price of $36,273.99. That’s a discount of $5947 or 14.1%. Based on this comparison, the answers to all three claims is true. And GM has just announced bonus cash on several 2013 and 2014 vehicles of $600 to $3000 depending on the model. The 2014 Chevy Impala that is currently in the cafeteria is the recipient of $1000 bonus cash. And that Traverse gets another $1000.
This offer is good through the end of the month. More details are available at gmfamilyfirst.com. And remember, temporary employees get the discount along with aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.
From Reuters: Volkswagen AG's top executives are divided over whether and how workers at the company's Tennessee assembly plant should be represented by a union, but ultimately will insist on a formal vote by those employees, a person with knowledge of the VW board's thinking said. While VW's U.S. executives are hostile to the UAW, the eight-member management board may still ask the union to help set up a German-style employee board at the Chattanooga plant, said the person, who asked not to be identified. The top executives feel that any final decision must be approved by the workers in a secret ballot to protect VW's reputation and assuage investors and U.S. politicians, said the source, who did not identify the VW executives. UAW leaders have said such a vote would allow anti-union forces to scare workers into voting against the union. The UAW has said it has support of the majority of the 1,567 hourly workers at the Tennessee plant.
UAW President Bob King told Reuters last month the union, seeking to avoid what it fears would be a divisive election process, would like the German automaker to voluntarily recognize the union as the plant's bargaining unit. Critics argue such an approach would be undemocratic. An employee in the plant's paint shop, Mike Burton, said he has gathered more than 600 signatures from VW Chattanooga hourly employees on an anti-UAW petition. A VW spokesman declined to comment beyond the company's past confirmation of talks with the UAW and that any decision would be made by the employees. VW's U.S. executives have said in the past, however, that the plant workers would need to vote on such a decision. Gary Casteel, director for the UAW region that includes Tennessee, said on Thursday that the union continues to have ongoing discussions with Volkswagen, adding that he has not heard of any decision by the VW management board on whether it will recognize the UAW.
Weekly build options: 43 E-26 vans; 559 cutaways (21%); 421 slider doors; 27 r/h door deletes; 106 15-pass vans; 95 diesels; 28 YF7s; 12 brake deck spare tire; 438 Onstar; 5.16% AWD; .49% tan interior trim; 76 exports (37 Mexico, 31 Israel); 50 CNG vans; 154 Enterprise; 50 AT&T; 113 U-Haul; 43 government; 87.3% white vans.
From Automotive News: As Nissan completes the first redesign of its Titan full-sized pickup, the company hopes to broaden the truck's appeal with more configurations aimed at fleet buyers. But attracting fleet and basic work truck customers will require more of a value pitch this time -- in contrast to the more upmarket focus of the first Titan. "Increased variation is important," says Rich Miller, Nissan's chief product specialist in charge of the next Titan. "The current Titan just didn't hit the work customer as strongly as it should have," Miller says. "We had one engine, a premium V-8. "It's hard for a work truck customer to consider that. They shop price and capability, and usually in that order. When you don't offer a regular-cab, six-cylinder, stripped-down truck, you're out of that market. That's where we need to go in the new generation." It will be an uphill fight. General Motors has become the industry leader in truck product quality, according to J.D. Power and Associates' 2013 Initial Quality Study. And setbacks and delays in the Titan's product schedule have left Nissan holding its place with a pickup that Consumer Reports calls "lackluster" and "dated."
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
State of the Union October 8, 2013
October 8, 2013 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
There will be a Veterans Committee meeting this Thursday, Oct. 10 at 4:30 pm at the Union Hall. Main topic will be the upcoming SOS Rally scheduled for this Sunday, Oct. 13. Volunteers are still needed to help with registrations. If you can help, please come to the meeting or contact Steve Melson at 636-262-1234.
The Community Services Committee will be having a meeting Thursday, Oct. 17 between shifts in the cafeteria. As always, anyone wishing to become a member is welcome to attend.
From Reuters: Volkswagen's top labour leader lent weight on Monday to efforts by U.S. union UAW to represent workers at the German company's U.S. plant, an issue that has raised hackles among some U.S. politicians and other critics of the UAW. Volkswagen prefers German-style labour representation at the plant through a works council and has held talks with the UAW about how the union can be involved in setting one up. However, Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker has said it would be a mistake for VW to allow the UAW to organize workers at its Tennessee plant. Last month, Corker called that possibility a "job-destroying idea" and said it would make the German automaker a "laughingstock in the business world."
Bernd Osterloh, head of VW's global works council, said in a statement that forming a council was important if the plant wanted to produce other VW cars and that he would keep talking with the UAW. "We know how important that (second) vehicle is for Chattanooga," said Osterloh, who as deputy chairman of VW has a say on production decisions. He said he plans to meet politicians and other supporters and opponents of the UAW in the United States in the next few weeks. However, an anti-UAW petition signed by 563 VW Chattanooga hourly employees was delivered last Friday to plant executives, said Mike Burton, the leader of the petition drive. Burton said that most of the signatures on the anti-UAW petition were gathered within two weeks. Burton, who works in the plant's paint shop, said he and a few co-workers will continue to collect signed petitions with a goal of attaining a majority of the 1,567 hourly workers.
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said a curved metal component was apparently the culprit in causing a Tesla to catch on fire last Tuesday. He says the object’s shape led to a powerful hit on the underside of the vehicle, punching a 3-inch hole through an armor plate (1/4 inch-thick aluminum we’re told) that protects the car’s bottom. Firefighting crews found that water seemed to intensify the fire, so they began using a dry chemical extinguisher. After dismantling the front end of the vehicle and puncturing holes in the battery pack, responders used a circular saw to cut an access hole in the front section to apply water to the battery, according to documents. Only then was the fire extinguished. Tesla took control of the vehicle to determine the cause of the fire. Alas, there was not a NHTSA investigation due to the government shutdown.
Speaking of the government shutdown, here is a statement issued by UAW President Bob King on the issue: “Tea Party Republicans continued their extremist ways and shutdown the federal government in an attempt to implement their far, right-wing agenda. Congressional Republicans’ insistence on denying health care coverage to millions of Americans by undermining the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is immoral as well as practically futile. By refusing to fund the government they have ignored the wishes of the American people and have placed millions of jobs and economic recovery in jeopardy. “House Republicans have done it again. In order to please the far right, they are taking money out of the pockets of working Americans, and costing our nation jobs. Any manufactured crisis that further slows growth and costs jobs is unacceptable. If the right wing in Congress were serious about preventing harm to Americans, they would pass a responsible budget and end sequestration, which is estimated to reduce employment by 900,000 in the next fiscal year. The House should pass a clean, temporary budget and debt limit increase without partisan wrangling, and work with President Obama and the Senate to strengthen our country.
“Along with millions of other workers, the livelihood of many UAW members is now in jeopardy because of this extremism. UAW members perform federally funded research at our nation’s colleges and universities, determine eligibility for social safety net programs, provide legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, build next generation vehicles for our military, and much more. A government shutdown harms all Americans now and in the future. The UAW stands ready to work with all who are serious about strengthening our economy and creating a brighter future.”
General Motors revealed the redesigned Cadillac Escalade last night in New York, marking the latest new product for a luxury brand that has morphed from laggard to serious contender over the last few years. The introduction of the fourth-generation Escalade comes as Cadillac sales have risen 29% so far this year from the first nine months of 2012. The 2015 Escalade, which goes into production next spring, follows the successful introductions last year of the ATS and XTS sedans. Production began last month on a dramatically overhauled CTS midsize car. Cadillac also plans to launch the all-new ELR electric coupe in early 2014. Designers sharpened the Escalade's existing exterior by accentuating the vehicle's distinctive tall, thin LED headlights, for example. "The 2015 Escalade is completely new and elevated in design and technology, inside and out. The clear objective is to once again assume the leadership position among luxury SUVs," Bob Ferguson, senior vice president of global Cadillac, said in a statement.
Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said the vehicle look is "bolder, bigger, more impressive, both inside and out. They need to solidify their base. It's very different from the large SUVs and CUVs from the imports, and I think that's an important distinction." GM's new 6.2-liter, 8-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission is the standard powertrain. Special attention was paid to improving the quality of the interior. "It's a very rich-looking interior," Nerad said. "It seems ergonomically excellent, and at the same time it's luxurious and looks rich.” It will be built at GM's assembly plant in Arlington, Texas. The average Escalade price in September was $73,596, according to KBB. GM said the vehicle, which only recently shed its dubious distinction as the most-stolen vehicle in the U.S., is packed with new theft-prevention technology. For example, it has sensors that monitor glass shattering and interior movement.
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly 636-327-2119
There will be a Veterans Committee meeting this Thursday, Oct. 10 at 4:30 pm at the Union Hall. Main topic will be the upcoming SOS Rally scheduled for this Sunday, Oct. 13. Volunteers are still needed to help with registrations. If you can help, please come to the meeting or contact Steve Melson at 636-262-1234.
The Community Services Committee will be having a meeting Thursday, Oct. 17 between shifts in the cafeteria. As always, anyone wishing to become a member is welcome to attend.
From Reuters: Volkswagen's top labour leader lent weight on Monday to efforts by U.S. union UAW to represent workers at the German company's U.S. plant, an issue that has raised hackles among some U.S. politicians and other critics of the UAW. Volkswagen prefers German-style labour representation at the plant through a works council and has held talks with the UAW about how the union can be involved in setting one up. However, Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker has said it would be a mistake for VW to allow the UAW to organize workers at its Tennessee plant. Last month, Corker called that possibility a "job-destroying idea" and said it would make the German automaker a "laughingstock in the business world."
Bernd Osterloh, head of VW's global works council, said in a statement that forming a council was important if the plant wanted to produce other VW cars and that he would keep talking with the UAW. "We know how important that (second) vehicle is for Chattanooga," said Osterloh, who as deputy chairman of VW has a say on production decisions. He said he plans to meet politicians and other supporters and opponents of the UAW in the United States in the next few weeks. However, an anti-UAW petition signed by 563 VW Chattanooga hourly employees was delivered last Friday to plant executives, said Mike Burton, the leader of the petition drive. Burton said that most of the signatures on the anti-UAW petition were gathered within two weeks. Burton, who works in the plant's paint shop, said he and a few co-workers will continue to collect signed petitions with a goal of attaining a majority of the 1,567 hourly workers.
Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk said a curved metal component was apparently the culprit in causing a Tesla to catch on fire last Tuesday. He says the object’s shape led to a powerful hit on the underside of the vehicle, punching a 3-inch hole through an armor plate (1/4 inch-thick aluminum we’re told) that protects the car’s bottom. Firefighting crews found that water seemed to intensify the fire, so they began using a dry chemical extinguisher. After dismantling the front end of the vehicle and puncturing holes in the battery pack, responders used a circular saw to cut an access hole in the front section to apply water to the battery, according to documents. Only then was the fire extinguished. Tesla took control of the vehicle to determine the cause of the fire. Alas, there was not a NHTSA investigation due to the government shutdown.
Speaking of the government shutdown, here is a statement issued by UAW President Bob King on the issue: “Tea Party Republicans continued their extremist ways and shutdown the federal government in an attempt to implement their far, right-wing agenda. Congressional Republicans’ insistence on denying health care coverage to millions of Americans by undermining the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is immoral as well as practically futile. By refusing to fund the government they have ignored the wishes of the American people and have placed millions of jobs and economic recovery in jeopardy. “House Republicans have done it again. In order to please the far right, they are taking money out of the pockets of working Americans, and costing our nation jobs. Any manufactured crisis that further slows growth and costs jobs is unacceptable. If the right wing in Congress were serious about preventing harm to Americans, they would pass a responsible budget and end sequestration, which is estimated to reduce employment by 900,000 in the next fiscal year. The House should pass a clean, temporary budget and debt limit increase without partisan wrangling, and work with President Obama and the Senate to strengthen our country.
“Along with millions of other workers, the livelihood of many UAW members is now in jeopardy because of this extremism. UAW members perform federally funded research at our nation’s colleges and universities, determine eligibility for social safety net programs, provide legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, build next generation vehicles for our military, and much more. A government shutdown harms all Americans now and in the future. The UAW stands ready to work with all who are serious about strengthening our economy and creating a brighter future.”
General Motors revealed the redesigned Cadillac Escalade last night in New York, marking the latest new product for a luxury brand that has morphed from laggard to serious contender over the last few years. The introduction of the fourth-generation Escalade comes as Cadillac sales have risen 29% so far this year from the first nine months of 2012. The 2015 Escalade, which goes into production next spring, follows the successful introductions last year of the ATS and XTS sedans. Production began last month on a dramatically overhauled CTS midsize car. Cadillac also plans to launch the all-new ELR electric coupe in early 2014. Designers sharpened the Escalade's existing exterior by accentuating the vehicle's distinctive tall, thin LED headlights, for example. "The 2015 Escalade is completely new and elevated in design and technology, inside and out. The clear objective is to once again assume the leadership position among luxury SUVs," Bob Ferguson, senior vice president of global Cadillac, said in a statement.
Jack Nerad, executive editorial director and executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said the vehicle look is "bolder, bigger, more impressive, both inside and out. They need to solidify their base. It's very different from the large SUVs and CUVs from the imports, and I think that's an important distinction." GM's new 6.2-liter, 8-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission is the standard powertrain. Special attention was paid to improving the quality of the interior. "It's a very rich-looking interior," Nerad said. "It seems ergonomically excellent, and at the same time it's luxurious and looks rich.” It will be built at GM's assembly plant in Arlington, Texas. The average Escalade price in September was $73,596, according to KBB. GM said the vehicle, which only recently shed its dubious distinction as the most-stolen vehicle in the U.S., is packed with new theft-prevention technology. For example, it has sensors that monitor glass shattering and interior movement.
Tom Brune
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly 636-327-2119
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
State of the union October 1, 2013
October 1, 2013 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
From Chairman Mike Bullock: I have several items of good news to report today. Benefits Reps. Mike, Smitty, Lisa and Karen, along with Van and myself went to the annual Benefits conference last week. The good news to report from the conference is that due to the Affordable Health Care Act that goes into effect January 1, 2014 all entry level seniority employees with 90 days or more will have full health care benefits including dental and vision as of January 1, 2014. What this means is that the permanent employees that were hired in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 that have 90 days or more seniority will be entitled to full health care benefits, including dental and vision, after January 1, 2014. Nothing will need to be done at this time to be signed up for this coverage. All this is part of the Affordable Health Care act that President Barack Obama pushed through Congress in 2012. The Republicans are still trying to decimate the Affordable Health Care Act by holding up a funding bill in Congress that shut down the government today. As long as the Republicans don't succeed in dismantling the Affordable Health Care Act, it will be enacted January 1, 2014 along with benefits for all seniority employees.
Also:
The requisition for 9 additional employees that was submitted in August for Wentzville Assembly Center exhausted all those applicants that had their name on file with the NEPC (National Employee Placement Center). That allowed two temporary employees who had been here the longest to be converted to permanent on Monday September 30, 2013. Congratulations!
An additional requisition for 31 more employees has been submitted to the National Parties. This requisition for 31 employees includes 20 newjobs in Trim. The remaining 11 are due to attrition or transfers. This requisition will first be filled by employees whose name is on file with the NEPC. If not enough applicants accept a transfer, then additional temps will be converted.
Weekly build options: 133 E-26 vans; 548 cutaways (20%); 404 slider doors; 116 r/h door deletes; 154 15-pass vans; 115 diesels; 121 YF7s; 23 brake deck spare tire; 608 Onstar; 4.9% AWD; .74% tan interior trim; 77 exports (36 Mexico); 60 CNG vans; 227 U-Haul; 181 Enterprise; 60 AT&T; 52 government; 81.5% white vans.
Beginning today, GM hourly employees in the U.S. are now able to update their banking and tax information directly in the payroll system through a new online application called the Employee Self-Service Portal. This initiative makes payroll actions much simpler. It limits the need to fax direct deposit forms or submit W-4 documents. Actions you can take with this tool include:
Here’s the web address for the Self-Service Portal: https://ssoportal.globalview.adp.com Note: Access to the portal requires you be a registered iPay pay statement user. Complete instructions for accessing and updating the portal can be found in the Employee Self-Service Guide located on the Global Financial Shared Services Payroll site: https://gmweb.gm.com/sites/GFSSHome/NAHome/Payroll/Pages/PayrollHome.aspx Registration instructions for iPay are found on this site as well. The GM Hourly Payroll Center can address your question: (hourlytimekeepingcenter@gm.comor 866-245-5957).
General Motors Co. dealers delivered 187,195 vehicles in the United States in September, down 11 percent compared year over year. Retail sales were down 6 percent versus a year ago and fleet sales were down 27 percent. Retail sales were up 2 percent on a selling day-adjusted basis. “We held our own when it comes to retail market share this month thanks to strong new products, including the Chevrolet Impala, Buick Encore, GMC Sierra and the Cadillac ATS and XTS,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president, U.S. sales operations. “We expect a strong finish to the year and more growth in 2014 thanks to new products and a healthier economy.” Highlights (vs. 2012)
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
From Chairman Mike Bullock: I have several items of good news to report today. Benefits Reps. Mike, Smitty, Lisa and Karen, along with Van and myself went to the annual Benefits conference last week. The good news to report from the conference is that due to the Affordable Health Care Act that goes into effect January 1, 2014 all entry level seniority employees with 90 days or more will have full health care benefits including dental and vision as of January 1, 2014. What this means is that the permanent employees that were hired in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 that have 90 days or more seniority will be entitled to full health care benefits, including dental and vision, after January 1, 2014. Nothing will need to be done at this time to be signed up for this coverage. All this is part of the Affordable Health Care act that President Barack Obama pushed through Congress in 2012. The Republicans are still trying to decimate the Affordable Health Care Act by holding up a funding bill in Congress that shut down the government today. As long as the Republicans don't succeed in dismantling the Affordable Health Care Act, it will be enacted January 1, 2014 along with benefits for all seniority employees.
Also:
The requisition for 9 additional employees that was submitted in August for Wentzville Assembly Center exhausted all those applicants that had their name on file with the NEPC (National Employee Placement Center). That allowed two temporary employees who had been here the longest to be converted to permanent on Monday September 30, 2013. Congratulations!
An additional requisition for 31 more employees has been submitted to the National Parties. This requisition for 31 employees includes 20 newjobs in Trim. The remaining 11 are due to attrition or transfers. This requisition will first be filled by employees whose name is on file with the NEPC. If not enough applicants accept a transfer, then additional temps will be converted.
Weekly build options: 133 E-26 vans; 548 cutaways (20%); 404 slider doors; 116 r/h door deletes; 154 15-pass vans; 115 diesels; 121 YF7s; 23 brake deck spare tire; 608 Onstar; 4.9% AWD; .74% tan interior trim; 77 exports (36 Mexico); 60 CNG vans; 227 U-Haul; 181 Enterprise; 60 AT&T; 52 government; 81.5% white vans.
Beginning today, GM hourly employees in the U.S. are now able to update their banking and tax information directly in the payroll system through a new online application called the Employee Self-Service Portal. This initiative makes payroll actions much simpler. It limits the need to fax direct deposit forms or submit W-4 documents. Actions you can take with this tool include:
- Add or change your banking information – immediately updates the payroll system and changes become effective with the next payroll cycle
- Change your W-4 information for federal and state tax withholding (e.g. exemptions, status, etc.) – immediately updates the payroll system and changes are effective on the date of input
- Confirm personal data such as SSN and date of birth
- Connect to iPay – GM’s online pay statement application
Here’s the web address for the Self-Service Portal: https://ssoportal.globalview.adp.com Note: Access to the portal requires you be a registered iPay pay statement user. Complete instructions for accessing and updating the portal can be found in the Employee Self-Service Guide located on the Global Financial Shared Services Payroll site: https://gmweb.gm.com/sites/GFSSHome/NAHome/Payroll/Pages/PayrollHome.aspx Registration instructions for iPay are found on this site as well. The GM Hourly Payroll Center can address your question: (hourlytimekeepingcenter@gm.comor 866-245-5957).
General Motors Co. dealers delivered 187,195 vehicles in the United States in September, down 11 percent compared year over year. Retail sales were down 6 percent versus a year ago and fleet sales were down 27 percent. Retail sales were up 2 percent on a selling day-adjusted basis. “We held our own when it comes to retail market share this month thanks to strong new products, including the Chevrolet Impala, Buick Encore, GMC Sierra and the Cadillac ATS and XTS,” said Kurt McNeil, vice president, U.S. sales operations. “We expect a strong finish to the year and more growth in 2014 thanks to new products and a healthier economy.” Highlights (vs. 2012)
- Buick sales increased 6 percent and Cadillac sales were up 10 percent. On a retail basis, Buick sales have now increased for 17 months in a row.
- Chevrolet Malibu sales were up 29 percent, sales of the Spark were up 6 percent and retail sales of the Impala increased 64 percent. Chevrolet Tahoe sales were up 14 percent.
- Third quarter retail sales for GM were up 13 percent and total sales were up 7 percent.
- Through the first nine months of the year, Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC have posted double-digit retail sales increases compared with 2012.
- Year-to-date sales of Buick and Cadillac cars are up a combined 15 percent; large pickups are up 20 percent; large SUVs are up 15 percent; and compact crossovers are up 13 percent.
- Van sales came in at 6,055, which was up 23.9% over last September.
UAW/GM Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
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