Wednesday, May 27, 2015
State of the Union May 27, 2015
It has now been decided that the Vehicle Advocate Program (overnight drive) will begin Friday June 5. Entry forms can be submitted through this Saturday, May 30. A raffle to raise money for Habitat for Humanity will be held for all of the weekends as well as the week of June 29, which runs through the July 4 holiday. Tickets will go on sale tomorrow and will be available in the cafeteria at break time on all shifts. Prices are $5 apiece or 3 for $10. Once again the 3 vehicles are an extended cab GMC Canyon, a crew cab Z-71 Chevrolet Colorado and a Cadillac ATS coupe.
· The UAW Local 2250 golf tournament will be held Saturday, June 20 at Country Lake golf course in Warrenton. Check in is noon with a 1:00 pm shotgun start. It is a 4-person scramble and the cost is $75 per person/ $300 per team and includes dinner, prizes and contests. There will also be a skin game, 50/50 raffle and silent auction. Proceeds go to Bridgeway, 5 Game Changers and CAP (community action program).
· From the New York Times: Justice Department investigators have identified criminal wrongdoing in General Motors’ failure to disclose a defect tied to at least 104 deaths, and are negotiating what is expected to be a record penalty, according to people briefed on the inquiry. A settlement could be reached as soon as this summer. The final number is still being negotiated, but it is expected to eclipse the $1.2 billion paid last year by Toyota for concealing unintended acceleration problems in its vehicles, said the people, who did not want to be identified because the negotiations weren’t complete. G.M.’s eagerness to resolve the investigation — a strategy that sets it apart from Toyota, which fought prosecutors — is expected to earn it so-called cooperation credit, one of the people said. That credit could translate into a somewhat smaller penalty than if G.M. had declined to cooperate. An agreement with the Justice Department, which could still fall apart, would represent a crucial step as G.M. tries to move past a scandal-laden year that tainted its reputation for quality and safety and damaged its bottom line. “We are cooperating fully with all requests,” the automaker said in a statement. “We are unable to comment on the status of the investigation, including timing.” G.M.’s aggressive expansion of its recalls after the disclosure contrasted to the approach of Toyota, which kept unsafe cars on the road despite signs of trouble, a decision that underpinned the criminal case against it. The company has spent an estimated $3 billion on recalls and other safety issues in the last year, including setting aside $600 million to compensate switch-related accident victims and their families. Even if it reaches an agreement with the Justice Department, G.M. still faces numerous consumer fraud investigations by state attorneys general, and numerous wrongful-death and personal injury lawsuits.
Yesterday was the 78th anniversary of the infamous “Battle of the Overpass” that occurred at the Ford River Rouge plant in 1937. The following is from an essay by Curtis Hansen from the Walter P. Reuther Library:
On May 26, l937, Walter Reuther, President of United Automobile Workers Local 174 and three fellow UAW organizers-Richard Frankensteen, J.J. Kennedy and Robert Kantor-climbed the stairs of a footbridge over Miller Road. The overpass led to Gate No. 4, the primary entrance to the Ford Motor Company’s River Rouge industrial complex. The men anticipated this would be a peaceful distribution of union literature by the ladies auxiliary of Local 174. At Reuther’s request, several neutral observers were also present, including members of the clergy, reporters and photographers.
Reuther was not able to present his city permit for leaflet distribution to anyone that morning. Within moments he and his associates were in the midst of the “Battle of the Overpass.” When it ended Reuther and his men found themselves at the bottom of the steel steps leading to the overpass. They had been thrown down the stairs by members of Ford’s Service Department.
The Ford Service Department was established to maintain control over the company’s assembly line workers and to keep unions out of the plants. Ford appointed Harry Bennett to run this portion of the business and he was given a free hand to do so. Bennett was a Navy veteran, a talented boxer, and he enjoyed the company of athletes, particularly wrestlers, football players and boxers. Bennett was also confrontational, always ready to assert himself physically. In addition, Bennett’s lack of an education and management experience matched Ford’s general distrust of formal education and position in society as benchmarks of success. As head of Ford’s Service Department, Bennett was arguably the most powerful man at Ford Motor Company with the exception of Ford himself. He hired and fired employees in a capricious manner. Union sympathy or activity meant immediate dismissal, and with poor wages, no paid holidays or vacations and no job security, employees were very vulnerable. Intimidation and attacks by his “Servicemen” were commonplace, and a spy network within the factories kept Bennett well-informed. The Service Department also kept UAW Local 174, the unit charged with organizing the Rouge Plant under constant surveillance. This made organizing an uncertain and dangerous proposition.
photo
Both Miller Road and the overpass itself were considered public thoroughfares, yet when Reuther and his colleagues arrived, a large group of Ford “Servicemen” approached the four UAW members. Reuther and his companions were told to leave, allowed no time to respond or withdraw and immediately attacked by the Ford thugs. They were punched, kicked, and picked up, slammed to the ground repeatedly, and after a severe beating, tossed down the stairs to the road below. Although the number of attackers is disputed--possibly as many as forty--their vast numerical superiority overwhelmed the union members who were caught by surprise. Once down on the road, Reuther (pictured on the left with Frankensteen) and his companions were able to get to a car and leave the scene. The ladies passing out the organizing materials on Miller Road were also attacked and forced to flee to their waiting buses for safety.
Meanwhile, down on Miller Road, Katherine Gelles, commander of the Ladies Auxiliary of UAW Local 174, and her associates received similar treatment. As the women attempted to pass out their leaflets entitled “Unionism not Fordism,” they were harassed, punched, kicked and forced back onto buses by another group of Servicemen. Many were injured, some seriously, such as William Meriweather, who was brutally beaten as he tried to assist the ladies. He suffered a broken back and internal injuries. The Dearborn Policemen on the scene watched as the attacks took place and made no attempt to restore order. This episode was an important step in the UAW’s successful drive to unionize Ford Motor Company, the final holdout among the Big 3 automakers. The “Battle of the Overpass” set in motion the series of events, which after four years of effort, resulted in a crippling strike at the Rouge Plant, the successful NLRB election and final recognition of the UAW by Ford Motor Company, in May 1941.
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
State of the Union May 20, 2015
There will be Community Services meetings Thursday, May 21 in the cafeteria. Times are 1:30 pm for 2nd shift, 3:15 pm for 1st shift and 9:30 pm for 3rd shift. All are welcome to attend.
· It has been decided that the VAP (overnight drive) program will be run the following way: All 3 shifts will have one vehicle each month, rotating them from one shift to another. For example, in May 1st shift will have the Canyon, 2nd shift will have the Colorado and 3rd shift will have the Cadillac ATS. In July the vehicles will rotate to the next shift, and then again in August. So ALL shifts should be submitting entry forms (please indicate your preference, if you have one, by marking the vehicles 1 through 3). The deadline for entries is Thursday May 28. You can submit your entries in the drop box in the cafeteria. Entry forms are located there as well. In addition, we will raffle off the vehicles on the weekends to raise money for charities such as Habitat for Humanity. Details will be communicated as soon as they are finalized. We encourage everyone to participate as this is a great chance for you to drive our product and show it off to family and friends.
· We hope everyone got a chance to see the great coverage the plant got from KSDK on May 7. Great job by everyone involved in this project, and a special thanks to the Local 2250 members who agreed to be featured in this broadcast. You represented all of us well. We were told that the coverage, during the crucial May sweeps time period, had great ratings. We would also like to give a shout out to reporters Pat McGonigle and Ryan Dean, who kept the stories positive and the focus on the workers.
None of this happened by accident. The behind the scenes work was handled by craftsmen represented by IBEW Local 4. Like many of us, you may have heard their advertising while listening to the Cardinal baseball games on KMOX recently. A quick look at their website, turnoffKSDK.com tells what our brothers and sisters at Local 4 are up against. They have been without a contract since November 2013. Prior to that, in 2009, they had taken a 10% pay cut and had gotten no raises since. Recent efforts at reaching an agreement have proved fruitless. In fact, Gannett recently issued their “last, best offer” which proposed an ongoing pay freeze and elimination of all job assignments (we would call them classifications). This offer was unanimously rejected by the membership. Mediation awaits.
We mention all of this because, as fellow Union brothers and sisters, they deserve any help we can offer. Specifically, we can write letters to the station or call on their behalf and explain to them that we stand in solidarity with the IBEW and our loyalty as viewers will change if their bargaining approach does not.
If you wish to show your support you can write to:
Marv Danielski
KSDK
1000 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
You can also call 314-421-5055 and ask for Mr. Danielski (he is the station manager). You probably won’t get connected but take the opportunity and tell them that you will be switching local stations if Gannett/KSDK does not bargain in good faith with these skilled men and women that make their broadcasts possible.
· From the Detroit Free Press: Cindy Estrada's journey has taken her from the dusty tomato fields of central California to the bargaining table where the UAW and General Motors will forge the future of about 48,500 U.S. workers. Estrada is a daughter of southwest Detroit and Dearborn. She traces her fervor for workplace issues to conversations of former Cadillac Fleetwood workers she overheard at her father's Michigan Avenue bar. "It was a big part of my life," she said when asked about Leroy's U.S. Star Bar. "I heard many stories of how hard work was in those plants. My uncles worked in some of them."
"We just had a good middle-class life. We didn't have an extravagant life," Cindy Estrada said. "I remember my mom and dad being pretty happy. They helped us do things we wanted to do."
Two experiences shaped her pride in being a young Latina. Next door to the bar was the United Farm Workers' grape boycott office that connected her to her grandparents' experience. She would learn her early organizing lessons at the side of two of Cesar Chavez's closest disciples.
But Mexican Industries is where her UAW career began. The UAW launched what would become a futile organizing campaign. In June 1995, workers who were then making an average of $7 an hour, rejected the UAW by a 623-265 vote. "We lost plain and simple," Estrada said. It was the third failed attempt to organize.
In late 2013 and 2014, Estrada engaged in difficult negotiations covering 17,000 UAW-represented state workers. The talks came less than a year after the Republican Legislature passed and Gov. Rick Snyder signed Michigan's right-to-work law.
Bargaining broke down, primarily over terms of state workers' health care coverage. In January 2014 the state civil service commission forced both sides to accept a two-year contract with 2% raises each year, a 0.5% lump-sum payment in year one, and a standardized health care plan that raised some workers' copays and deductibles.
Estrada acknowledges there was tension during those talks, but she said the UAW tried to emphasize that it was interested in finding more efficient ways to deliver state services without slashing jobs, wages and benefits.
"I've never seen Cindy lose her temper, but she'll get angry about what she perceives as workplace injustice," said former UAW President Bob King. "She's open and flexible about finding creative solutions, but if a company is dishonest or abusive, they've got a real fight on their hands with her."
Marty Bryant, a former Dana executive who is now CEO of a North Carolina-based maker of waste handling and recycling equipment, sat across the table from Estrada during a 2010 negotiation that ended in a contract covering more than 3,000 Dana workers.
"Cindy's maybe 5 feet 2, but she can hold her own," Bryant said. "She was committed to her mission that working people deserve to make enough money to live on. At the same time she never gave the impression she was out to injure the company.
"When no one was watching or in heat of bargaining she was always the same person."
She is now on a bigger stage. Last June, UAW President Dennis Williams assigned her to lead negotiations with GM. Her success ultimately will be measured by the 48,500 UAW members at the nation's largest automaker.
Her counterpart across the table will be Rex Blackwell, a 31-year veteran of GM labor relations staff. But don't underestimate the relationship evolving between Estrada and GM CEO Barra. They meet at least once every month or six weeks, Estrada said.
Estrada spoke highly of the CEO's management style and vision. "She really does want to work on changing the culture," Estrada said. "She's a problem solver and a very smart woman. So far, my experience with her has been nothing but positive."
Estrada who lives in Whitmore Lake with her husband, retired UAW official Frank White, and twin 11-year-old sons Jason and Jesse, draws a parallel between her job as mother and her role with the UAW.
"Every time I make a decision in my house without involving my family, yes, it's easier in the short run, but in the long run it doesn't lead to building of a strong healthy family," she said. "It's the same thing in a workplace. If management is always making decisions absent workers, they're not always the best decision and it doesn't promote a healthy environment."
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
· It has been decided that the VAP (overnight drive) program will be run the following way: All 3 shifts will have one vehicle each month, rotating them from one shift to another. For example, in May 1st shift will have the Canyon, 2nd shift will have the Colorado and 3rd shift will have the Cadillac ATS. In July the vehicles will rotate to the next shift, and then again in August. So ALL shifts should be submitting entry forms (please indicate your preference, if you have one, by marking the vehicles 1 through 3). The deadline for entries is Thursday May 28. You can submit your entries in the drop box in the cafeteria. Entry forms are located there as well. In addition, we will raffle off the vehicles on the weekends to raise money for charities such as Habitat for Humanity. Details will be communicated as soon as they are finalized. We encourage everyone to participate as this is a great chance for you to drive our product and show it off to family and friends.
· We hope everyone got a chance to see the great coverage the plant got from KSDK on May 7. Great job by everyone involved in this project, and a special thanks to the Local 2250 members who agreed to be featured in this broadcast. You represented all of us well. We were told that the coverage, during the crucial May sweeps time period, had great ratings. We would also like to give a shout out to reporters Pat McGonigle and Ryan Dean, who kept the stories positive and the focus on the workers.
None of this happened by accident. The behind the scenes work was handled by craftsmen represented by IBEW Local 4. Like many of us, you may have heard their advertising while listening to the Cardinal baseball games on KMOX recently. A quick look at their website, turnoffKSDK.com tells what our brothers and sisters at Local 4 are up against. They have been without a contract since November 2013. Prior to that, in 2009, they had taken a 10% pay cut and had gotten no raises since. Recent efforts at reaching an agreement have proved fruitless. In fact, Gannett recently issued their “last, best offer” which proposed an ongoing pay freeze and elimination of all job assignments (we would call them classifications). This offer was unanimously rejected by the membership. Mediation awaits.
We mention all of this because, as fellow Union brothers and sisters, they deserve any help we can offer. Specifically, we can write letters to the station or call on their behalf and explain to them that we stand in solidarity with the IBEW and our loyalty as viewers will change if their bargaining approach does not.
If you wish to show your support you can write to:
Marv Danielski
KSDK
1000 Market Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
You can also call 314-421-5055 and ask for Mr. Danielski (he is the station manager). You probably won’t get connected but take the opportunity and tell them that you will be switching local stations if Gannett/KSDK does not bargain in good faith with these skilled men and women that make their broadcasts possible.
· From the Detroit Free Press: Cindy Estrada's journey has taken her from the dusty tomato fields of central California to the bargaining table where the UAW and General Motors will forge the future of about 48,500 U.S. workers. Estrada is a daughter of southwest Detroit and Dearborn. She traces her fervor for workplace issues to conversations of former Cadillac Fleetwood workers she overheard at her father's Michigan Avenue bar. "It was a big part of my life," she said when asked about Leroy's U.S. Star Bar. "I heard many stories of how hard work was in those plants. My uncles worked in some of them."
"We just had a good middle-class life. We didn't have an extravagant life," Cindy Estrada said. "I remember my mom and dad being pretty happy. They helped us do things we wanted to do."
Two experiences shaped her pride in being a young Latina. Next door to the bar was the United Farm Workers' grape boycott office that connected her to her grandparents' experience. She would learn her early organizing lessons at the side of two of Cesar Chavez's closest disciples.
But Mexican Industries is where her UAW career began. The UAW launched what would become a futile organizing campaign. In June 1995, workers who were then making an average of $7 an hour, rejected the UAW by a 623-265 vote. "We lost plain and simple," Estrada said. It was the third failed attempt to organize.
In late 2013 and 2014, Estrada engaged in difficult negotiations covering 17,000 UAW-represented state workers. The talks came less than a year after the Republican Legislature passed and Gov. Rick Snyder signed Michigan's right-to-work law.
Bargaining broke down, primarily over terms of state workers' health care coverage. In January 2014 the state civil service commission forced both sides to accept a two-year contract with 2% raises each year, a 0.5% lump-sum payment in year one, and a standardized health care plan that raised some workers' copays and deductibles.
Estrada acknowledges there was tension during those talks, but she said the UAW tried to emphasize that it was interested in finding more efficient ways to deliver state services without slashing jobs, wages and benefits.
"I've never seen Cindy lose her temper, but she'll get angry about what she perceives as workplace injustice," said former UAW President Bob King. "She's open and flexible about finding creative solutions, but if a company is dishonest or abusive, they've got a real fight on their hands with her."
Marty Bryant, a former Dana executive who is now CEO of a North Carolina-based maker of waste handling and recycling equipment, sat across the table from Estrada during a 2010 negotiation that ended in a contract covering more than 3,000 Dana workers.
"Cindy's maybe 5 feet 2, but she can hold her own," Bryant said. "She was committed to her mission that working people deserve to make enough money to live on. At the same time she never gave the impression she was out to injure the company.
"When no one was watching or in heat of bargaining she was always the same person."
She is now on a bigger stage. Last June, UAW President Dennis Williams assigned her to lead negotiations with GM. Her success ultimately will be measured by the 48,500 UAW members at the nation's largest automaker.
Her counterpart across the table will be Rex Blackwell, a 31-year veteran of GM labor relations staff. But don't underestimate the relationship evolving between Estrada and GM CEO Barra. They meet at least once every month or six weeks, Estrada said.
Estrada spoke highly of the CEO's management style and vision. "She really does want to work on changing the culture," Estrada said. "She's a problem solver and a very smart woman. So far, my experience with her has been nothing but positive."
Estrada who lives in Whitmore Lake with her husband, retired UAW official Frank White, and twin 11-year-old sons Jason and Jesse, draws a parallel between her job as mother and her role with the UAW.
"Every time I make a decision in my house without involving my family, yes, it's easier in the short run, but in the long run it doesn't lead to building of a strong healthy family," she said. "It's the same thing in a workplace. If management is always making decisions absent workers, they're not always the best decision and it doesn't promote a healthy environment."
Tom Brune
UAW Communications Coordinator
Wentzville Assembly
636-327-2119
Thursday, May 14, 2015
State of the Union May 14, 2015
May 14, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com
· The annual Annie Malone Parade will be held this Sunday, May 17 at 1 pm. For those who wish to participate, we will be meeting at Gateway St. Louis Buick (previously Behlmann) at 10:30 am (820 McDonnell Blvd., St. Louis MO 63042). We will depart for the parade staging area no later than 10:45 am. For those wishing to help decorate the vehicles, you can go to the staging area which is located on Market Street between Compton Ave and Jefferson Ave at 12:00 noon. Remember admittance to the staging area is by entry sticker only. There is street parking in the downtown area and some near the staging area. For questions or detailed directions call Dan Williams at 314-616-2271 or Fred Jamison at 314-497-3067.
· The UAW Local 2250 golf tournament will be held Saturday, June 20 at Country Lake golf course in Warrenton. Check in is noon with a 1:00 pm shotgun start. It is a 4-person scramble and the cost is $75 per person/ $300 per team and includes dinner, prizes and contests. There will also be a skin game, 50/50 raffle and silent auction. Proceeds go to Bridgeway, 5 Game Changers and CAP (community action program). ·
April was the strongest sales month yet for both the van and the pickups. Here are the results for both segments.
Field supplies remain tight on both products. Colorado supplies edged up to a 12 day supply from 10 while the Canyon stands at 29 days supply. Van supply as measured in days plummeted from 52 to 36 days as cutaway sales surged. Cargo van supplies stood at 27 days while Chevy passenger vans numbered 501 total for a 13 day supply. The plant will be taking orders for 2016 vans soon, marking the first time customers can order a van since last October.
This coming Monday, May 18 is the 27th Annual Run for the Wall. You are invited to come and welcome more than 500 motorcycles making their way across the heartland of America to the Vietnam Veterans Wall in Washington D. C. to honor the men and women still unaccounted for, from all of our wars. You can come to the VFW Post 5327, located on Hwy. Z ½ mile south I-70 in Wentzville at 5:00 pm. Once again riders will stopping by the plant to use the restrooms and showers before they head to the VFW.
· The Annual Blessing of the Bikes will be this coming Tuesday, May 19 in the visitors parking lot beginning at 5:00 am.
· PickupTrucks.com recently did a midsize pickup challenge pitting the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon against each other and the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. All trucks were 4x4 crew cabs with V6 engines. The judging covered these categories: Performance, seating and ergonomics, tech and entertainment, ride quality, overall visibility, overall value and off-road aptitude. We’ll cut to the chase and give you the results, starting with last place. That distinction was claimed by the Tacoma, which tallied 1634 points. Comments included: “Although the judges liked the way the truck looked, the Tacoma TRD Pro was one of the most expensive players in the test, was usually the slowest in acceleration tests, got the worst fuel economy and stopped longer than anything we've tested in a long time….there was a lot of chassis and interior noise, far more than the other trucks.” Third place belonged to the Frontier, which scored 1673 points. Here’s what they had to say about it: “In the end, the dated interior, limited cargo storage and average fuel-economy numbers held it back from scoring more points.”
Second place went to the…..Colorado, which had 1775 points. About the Colorado: “What impressed us most with both of the GM trucks is how much they can carry, and how comfortable and confident they are doing it. During brake testing and when carrying a max payload during our fuel-economy runs, brake control and chassis dynamics were smooth and predictable, comforting even. With all that said, the Chevy is packed with value and showed great composure in every situation.” And that leaves the winner, the Canyon at 1808 points. The summary said: “No matter how you look at this comparison test, the win by the GMC was impressive. Of the 14 empirical challenges we set up for these midsize trucks, the GMC came in first or second place in 11 of them….In the end, the Canyon scored well throughout our test, and offered a capable and luxurious ride and feel that clearly separated the GMC from the rest of the field. We were especially impressed with its road manners and performance with a full load in the bed, scoring a first- or second-place finish in all of our max-payload testing (which for this truck meant carrying a stunning 1,440 pounds).” This sibling rivalry can only get better.
· Yesterday the Missouri state legislature passed a right-to-work bill and sent it to Governor Jay Nixon. The Governor has our back and will veto this bill, which will set up a vote to override his veto. Based on the vote counts, there is not enough support to override his veto, but you can bet that lobbying groups like the Chamber of Commerce will put a full court press on legislators who opposed this bill. Stay in touch with your state representative and senator and let them know that this veto must stand. You can find your legislator by using the lookup box on the senate.mo.gov and house.mo.gov websites.
· The annual Annie Malone Parade will be held this Sunday, May 17 at 1 pm. For those who wish to participate, we will be meeting at Gateway St. Louis Buick (previously Behlmann) at 10:30 am (820 McDonnell Blvd., St. Louis MO 63042). We will depart for the parade staging area no later than 10:45 am. For those wishing to help decorate the vehicles, you can go to the staging area which is located on Market Street between Compton Ave and Jefferson Ave at 12:00 noon. Remember admittance to the staging area is by entry sticker only. There is street parking in the downtown area and some near the staging area. For questions or detailed directions call Dan Williams at 314-616-2271 or Fred Jamison at 314-497-3067.
· The UAW Local 2250 golf tournament will be held Saturday, June 20 at Country Lake golf course in Warrenton. Check in is noon with a 1:00 pm shotgun start. It is a 4-person scramble and the cost is $75 per person/ $300 per team and includes dinner, prizes and contests. There will also be a skin game, 50/50 raffle and silent auction. Proceeds go to Bridgeway, 5 Game Changers and CAP (community action program). ·
April was the strongest sales month yet for both the van and the pickups. Here are the results for both segments.
Field supplies remain tight on both products. Colorado supplies edged up to a 12 day supply from 10 while the Canyon stands at 29 days supply. Van supply as measured in days plummeted from 52 to 36 days as cutaway sales surged. Cargo van supplies stood at 27 days while Chevy passenger vans numbered 501 total for a 13 day supply. The plant will be taking orders for 2016 vans soon, marking the first time customers can order a van since last October.
This coming Monday, May 18 is the 27th Annual Run for the Wall. You are invited to come and welcome more than 500 motorcycles making their way across the heartland of America to the Vietnam Veterans Wall in Washington D. C. to honor the men and women still unaccounted for, from all of our wars. You can come to the VFW Post 5327, located on Hwy. Z ½ mile south I-70 in Wentzville at 5:00 pm. Once again riders will stopping by the plant to use the restrooms and showers before they head to the VFW.
· The Annual Blessing of the Bikes will be this coming Tuesday, May 19 in the visitors parking lot beginning at 5:00 am.
· PickupTrucks.com recently did a midsize pickup challenge pitting the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon against each other and the Toyota Tacoma and Nissan Frontier. All trucks were 4x4 crew cabs with V6 engines. The judging covered these categories: Performance, seating and ergonomics, tech and entertainment, ride quality, overall visibility, overall value and off-road aptitude. We’ll cut to the chase and give you the results, starting with last place. That distinction was claimed by the Tacoma, which tallied 1634 points. Comments included: “Although the judges liked the way the truck looked, the Tacoma TRD Pro was one of the most expensive players in the test, was usually the slowest in acceleration tests, got the worst fuel economy and stopped longer than anything we've tested in a long time….there was a lot of chassis and interior noise, far more than the other trucks.” Third place belonged to the Frontier, which scored 1673 points. Here’s what they had to say about it: “In the end, the dated interior, limited cargo storage and average fuel-economy numbers held it back from scoring more points.”
Second place went to the…..Colorado, which had 1775 points. About the Colorado: “What impressed us most with both of the GM trucks is how much they can carry, and how comfortable and confident they are doing it. During brake testing and when carrying a max payload during our fuel-economy runs, brake control and chassis dynamics were smooth and predictable, comforting even. With all that said, the Chevy is packed with value and showed great composure in every situation.” And that leaves the winner, the Canyon at 1808 points. The summary said: “No matter how you look at this comparison test, the win by the GMC was impressive. Of the 14 empirical challenges we set up for these midsize trucks, the GMC came in first or second place in 11 of them….In the end, the Canyon scored well throughout our test, and offered a capable and luxurious ride and feel that clearly separated the GMC from the rest of the field. We were especially impressed with its road manners and performance with a full load in the bed, scoring a first- or second-place finish in all of our max-payload testing (which for this truck meant carrying a stunning 1,440 pounds).” This sibling rivalry can only get better.
· Yesterday the Missouri state legislature passed a right-to-work bill and sent it to Governor Jay Nixon. The Governor has our back and will veto this bill, which will set up a vote to override his veto. Based on the vote counts, there is not enough support to override his veto, but you can bet that lobbying groups like the Chamber of Commerce will put a full court press on legislators who opposed this bill. Stay in touch with your state representative and senator and let them know that this veto must stand. You can find your legislator by using the lookup box on the senate.mo.gov and house.mo.gov websites.
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