State of the Union December 16, 2014

State of the Union December 16, 2014 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

• If you were feeling sorry for the Canyon as the Colorado garners all the attention, weep no more. Autoweek has named the GMC Canyon Best of the Best Truck for 2015. Said Autoweek:
Yes, the Porsche Macan is fast and handles like a sports car. The Lincoln MKC is a beautiful piece—smooth, comfortable and refined—and it bodes well for the future of the brand. We loved them both, enough to choose them as finalists for our 2015 Best of the Best/Truck award.
But trucks speak to a different part of the brain than cars, where the desire for power and road chops meets the need for utility and good ol’-fashioned dirt-under-the-fingernails grunt. That’s part of the reason we’re giddy to give the 2015 GMC Canyon the award. It’s truly a truck in the most honest sense of the word—with a roughly 1,500-pound payload in all trims and up to 7,000 pounds of towing ability—but refuses to forego the requirements a modern buyer has in a vehicle: refinement, modern conveniences and amenities, high-quality build, practicality and style.
Perhaps more importantly, GMC puts all that trucky goodness into a palatably sized package. We hesitate calling it small; as one editor pointed out, the Canyon sports a longer wheelbase than a first-gen GMT800 Sierra. Nevertheless, it’s a far cry from the gargantuan half-ton trucks running around these days like mini-Macks. “To me, the Canyon is the right size for a truck,” said one tester. “Modern full-sizers often feel too big to be really useful both as commuters and as trucks.” Every staffer echoed the sentiment: The Canyon is the perfect size.
It also helps the Canyon’s cause that it’s one handsome truck, stylish yet still sturdy looking. Where the Chevy offers perhaps a bit more value, the GMC is brimming with a near-luxury experience. It’s startlingly quiet inside, with a lush feel about the cabin and rich appointments throughout. For General Motors and for the wider buying public, the Canyon is as important an entry as we’ve seen in a long time. It marks the exciting return to the American compact-truck market, and we couldn’t be more pleased to call it a winner. “It’s truly a truck in the most honest sense…but refuses to forego the requirements a modern buyer has in a vehicle: refinement, modern conveniences and amenities, high-quality build, practicality and style,” said Autoweek’s editors, who also noted the Canyon is “brimming with a near-luxury experience.”
Autoweek’s annual Best of the Best awards are based on the evaluations of eight vehicle finalists selected for their performance, design, build quality, value and significance. A three-day test session at Michigan International Speedway by the editors determined the awards, which include one car and one truck.
“Of the hundreds of vehicles Autoweek tests each year, only a relative few truly stand out from the rest,” said Autoweek editor Wes Raynal. “The GMC Canyon is not only one of the best new vehicles on the market, it’s one of the most important, signaling an exciting return to the mid-sized truck segment.”

• FYI – We have been informed by management that team meeting this Friday, Dec. 19, will be taken 20 minutes prior to lunch at 10:10 to provide extra time for team dinners.

• The annual Chassis Christmas Party will be Friday, Dec. 19 at Maggie Malones after first shift. There will be free food, drink specials, prizes and live music as well as a visit from Santa! All are welcome so come and join us for an evening of fun and holiday cheer. For more info contact Susan Daniel (Picou) at column F-43 of the engine line.

• There is still one item left to cover from November sales results: field supplies. Van supplies overall dropped by nearly 1000 despite the tepid sales rate. Because of that rate the supply as measured in days rose to 62 from 56 days supply at the end of October. If you look at units in net field stock at the end of last November, supplies have dropped by about 6500 units, or 33%. Passenger vans are down 50% from then. And while it’s still very early on, the supply of the Colorado stand at 21 days, while the Canyon is at 34 days. Total stock for the two models is around 3000 units. Expect these numbers to fluctuate until the product pipeline gets filled.

• UAW President Dennis Williams held a press conference at Solidarity House Monday. Here are some of his remarks:
o On raises for traditional, or legacy workers: “In the Big Three, what we consider legacy employees have not had a general wage increase for many years and we will be addressing that.” And “If they want to go ahead and want to talk about wages, I am more than happy to sit down and talk about their salaries.”
o On bridging the gap between those workers and tier 2 workers: “We are very aware that the need to balance the wages is very important to our membership. None of it is going to be easy, but I have committed that we are going to start bridging that gap.” And "We want to keep the companies competitive at the same time we want our members to have a lifestyle that gives them a family life.”
o On maintaining competitiveness: “I often listen to companies about being competitive, and the only thing they ever talk about in the public is being competitive based on the backs of workers. That’s not the only way to do it.” And "It is about how we keep the companies competitive, and we are conscious of that. But general wage increases are important to our members, and it is important to us as a nation, to bring our standard of living up." But the union will “not repeat the sins of the past.”
o On the possibility of a strike: “Striking is a failure on both parties’ part. We don’t plan on failing, but we’re going to be prepared.” And "I never go into negotiations with the idea that we are preparing for a strike. That is the last thing we want to do as an organization."
o On organizing in the south: "We believe every time we organize in the South it is going to get more difficult, not easier. But I think that we have the right strategy."
o On right-to-work: "I don't think challenging right to work is going to be a priority right now. We are focused on the needs of the membership."

• GM was contacted after the press conference. According to the Detroit Free Press, GM said it is confident it will be able to reach a new agreement with the UAW next year, despite Williams' comments today. "We have a strong track record of creative problem-solving and are committed to working with our union partners to enable long-term success for the business and our employees," GM said in a statement.

Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119