Friday, October 16, 2015

State of the Union October 16, 2015

October 16, 2015 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

A Message from UAW Vice President Cindy Estrada:
To my sisters and brothers at General Motors, as we continue to negotiate with General Motors on your behalf, I want to thank you for your patience and solid support. As you know, there is a lot at stake with these negotiations and the ratification process; job security, product allocation and income security. As you wait, please remember that during the last round of auto contract talks, UAW members at Ford and FCA waited for us to conclude our ratification before they began theirs. Right now, we are focusing on the issues that are unique to each operation.
I want to especially thank you for remaining level headed and not allowing outsiders like RTW to hijack this negotiation process and divide us. Facebook and social media are amazing for groups like ours to communicate, we’re grateful to have them, and we encourage the robust debate and discussion they provide. I, by no means, intend to discourage healthy discussion that, in the end, will only make our union stronger. In fact, I am hopeful that we can turn this discussion into even more activism as we face upcoming elections and those forces which seek to harm our rights as union members and the rights of all working families. Yesterday one of those forces, the National RTW Legal Defense Foundation, aired an anti-union radio ad in Michigan. I have complete faith that our membership is mindful of those on the internet who are looking to use public member discussions to divide us. It is important that we stand together in solidarity against these anti-union forces posing as friends of working men and women.
As UAW-FCA brothers and sisters proceed with their ratification process, it’s critical that your support continue. They are expected to conclude their voting on Oct. 21, 2015. If you have any questions, please feel free to send them to our Facebook page, UAW GM Talks.
In Solidarity, Cindy Estrada

• There will be signups for the Red Cross Blood Drive Wednesday, October 21 in the cafeteria on all shifts. The Blood Drive will be Wednesday, October 28.

• There will be Civil Rights Committee meetings Monday, October 19 at the Union Hall at the following times: 6:45 am for 3rd shift; 1:30 pm for 2nd shift and 2:45 pm for 1st shift. All are welcome to attend.

• GM will report 3rd quarter earnings next Wednesday, Oct. 21.

• From the Detroit News: In a brief Detroit News interview on the sidelines of a conference here, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said she didn't know if GM or Ford would be up next after workers at Fiat Chrysler complete voting on a proposed new deal. "We'll work through it," said Barra, noting that UAW President Dennis Williams has said "the companies are different" and in "different situations." Barra noted GM hasn't started contract talks but wouldn't say if the Fiat Chrysler contract could set the pattern at GM.
"We haven't started our negotiations at this level yet, and when we get there, we're going to work and do the same creative problem solving that we've done day in and day out, and work to have an agreement that's good for the company and maintains our competitiveness — and does the right things for the institution and for our workers," Barra said.
Barra also said GM is still reviewing the proposed 12 nation Trans Pacific Partnership and hasn't made a decision on whether to support or oppose the deal. Barra said GM officials are currently reviewing the proposal. Ford Motor Co. has already said it opposes the free-trade agreement as currently written. "It is early days, and we have to start by first understanding it. The details are important, so we're still in an evaluation mode," Barra told the News.

• From TruckTrend: There has been tremendous anticipation surrounding the 2016 Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon diesel. Not only do the two trucks have an exclusive in the midsize market with a diesel engine, they’re also highly capable with towing capacities up to 7,700 pounds and a lot of fun to drive, as we found out in our recent first drive of the Colorado diesel.
Now, with testing done by Emissions Analytics, one of the world’s most respected third-party emissions testing company and provider of Motor Trend’s Real MPG figures, we have some indication of how efficient these trucks will be. In a controlled mixed test loop performed by Emissions Analytics, a 4WD Colorado Trail Boss returned 23.2 mpg city and 31.4 mpg highway, for a combined figure of 26.3 mpg. If those figures are close to official EPA figures, that would make the diesel model 3 mpg more efficient in the city, and 4 mpg more efficient on the highway, in addition to having a towing capacity more than double the base gas I-4’s 3,500 pounds. Official EPA figures have not yet been released on these trucks, but if the figures are close to these scientific, but not official, results, General Motors’ preliminary claim of the trucks being the “most efficient” in the U.S. should prove to be true. For comparison, Emissions Analytics got 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway on a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel, spot-on with the official EPA results. The $3,700 option price on the engine pushes a well-equipped Colorado or Canyon easily over the $40,000 mark, but with this unique combination of efficiency and capability, it’s arguably worth the premium.

• Here are some impressions from Auotweek of the Colorado diesel: “At low rpm, it’s difficult to discern this is a diesel. It’s quiet, smooth and snappy off the line… On a short 40-mile fuel economy run in a 2WD Colorado, we saw 36 mpg from gentle throttle application, a great number for a 4,500-pound pickup…we were able to test the truck towing a 3,865-pound horse trailer. The Duramax had no trouble moving that load. In fact, we were able to chirp the tires from a hard launch…Do I want it? Yes. The new diesel is a torque monster; it makes the Colorado feel more, well, trucky. We dig that. For those needing a fuel- and space-efficient truck that can handle a fairly serious trailer, the Colorado diesel seems like the perfect fit.”

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

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