Category Archives: labor issues

Unifor Saves Some Canadian Jobs as GM Blinks on Oshawa

This fight has international ramifications stretching beyond next year when the Canadian autoworkers and the UAW contracts expire at the Detroit Three. While not official, this makes the beginning of bargaining table battles that will cast a large shadow on the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Continue reading

Posted in labor issues, news analysis, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Diesel Technician Apprenticeship Program Upgraded

The program allows participants to work full time at a TA Truck Service* facility while completing their training, instead of paying to attend a vocational school or training program. The TA Truck Service network includes 244 truck service facilities, 1,090 repair bays, nearly 3,000 technicians with certifications in ASE and TIA. Continue reading

Posted in labor issues, people, transportation | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM Strikes Out Against Usually Winless UAW as Mexican-Made Blazer Pulled from Opening Day Lineup in Detroit

As AutoInformed has covered extensively since November 2018 when GM said it will idle five plants in North America this year and early next year – affecting more than 6000 jobs – the Oshawa shut-out was minor league with major league and world-wide consequences. Continue reading

Posted in AutoInformed Editorial, customer satisfaction, fools 'n frauds, labor issues, recalls | Leave a comment

Hungarian Hankook Tire Strike Settled

During the first week of the strike at the Dunaújváros plant, local management refused to talk with the union, strongly harassed and intimidated strikers, and offered 50% wage increases to work during the strike. Continue reading

Posted in labor issues, manufacturing, people | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

About Face: GM to Add 400 Jobs for New Chevy Electric Vehicle after Critical Trump Tweets About Closing Lordstown

The announcements came less than a week after a rabid series of tweets by Trump about the closing of Lordstown, OH, which was one of the four plants GM said in November that would be idled in its latest cost cutting moves. GM declined to say if these were replacement jobs from abandoned workers’ or new jobs. The United Auto Workers union is in court against GM saying that they must be negotiated with the union. Continue reading

Posted in labor issues, manufacturing, people | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

1,700 workers strike at Hankook Tire in Hungary

IndustriALL Global Union affiliate, the Federation of Chemical Workers of Hungary (VDSZ), which represents workers at Hankook’s Dunaújváros plant in central Hungary, says that 70% of 2,400 shift workers have joined the indefinite strike that began on 12 March.   Continue reading

Posted in economy, labor issues, manufacturing, people | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Michigan to Make First AVs, but Loses Ford Transit to Mexico

In a transparent attempt at spin – in AutoCrat’s view laughable and tragic – Ford is re-adding a second shift at Flat Rock. The plant will become the production home to vehicles from the company’s next-generation battery electric flexible architecture. These vehicles will follow, ahem, the all-electric performance SUV coming in 2020 from Ford’s Cuautitlan, Mexico plant. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, AutoInformed Editorial, autonomous vehicles, economy, electric vehicles, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis, people, shows and events | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

IndustriALL Endorses Global Agreements to Fight and Shape Policy on the Growing Number of Auto Plant Closures

So whither auto plants with their well-paid, highly skilled and heavily unionized work? Plant closures and retrenchments in several countries is worrying for unions. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, economy, labor issues, manufacturing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trade Wars: FCA to Expand Production Capacity in Michigan

Given his vast international experience, Manley appears ideal to negotiate the choppy waters of ongoing and yet unknown trade wars and protect FCA’s investment of nearly $14.5 billion since 2009, with ~30,000 jobs created to date. All automakers are against Trump trade policy by twitter. Continue reading

Posted in economy, environment, labor issues, manufacturing, milestones, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Unions Protest Closing of Ford Plant Leningrad Region

Although the closure of the Vsevolozhsk plant has not been confirmed, Ford announced in January 2019 that it would review its development strategy in Russia. Depending on the review, the plant in Vsevolozhsk and two plants to produce cars and engines in the Republic of Tatarstan may be closed. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, labor issues, manufacturing | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ford Exits Heavy Truck Business in South America

Most of these pre-tax special item charges and cash outflows of 4460 million will be recorded in 2019 and are part of the $11 billion in EBIT charges with cash-related effects of $7 billion the company expects to take in the redesign of its global business. Continue reading

Posted in auto news, economy, financial results, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

GM to Invest $36 Million in Lansing Plant. Oshawa Still Doomed

The announcement – some would call it tone deaf – came closely followed Sting and cast promoting Unifor’s #SaveOshawaGM campaign. Sting and the cast of his musical, The Last Ship, were in front of thousands of Unifor members and the public for a Valentine’s Day solidarity performance, held in the heart of downtown Oshawa. The legendary musician began with “Message in a Bottle,” and after several numbers from the musical, closed with “Every Breath You Take.” Continue reading

Posted in economy, labor issues, manufacturing, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Japanese-brand Automakers Generate 1.52 Million Jobs in US

It doesn’t estimate how many are lost to oversees manufacturing and imports. Thus, go the one-sided volleys in the ongoing automotive trade wars. Continue reading

Posted in economy, financial results, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trump Tariffs Hurt New Auto Prices, Jobs, Consumers

NADA is worried that under a 25% tariff on all imports and parts, “consumers would see the price of the typical vehicle sold in the United States rise by $4,400. Prices of U.S.‐assembled vehicles rise due to an increase in the cost of imported vehicle parts, adding $2,270 to the price. For the typical imported vehicle, these tariffs raise consumer prices by $6,875 per vehicle.” Continue reading

Posted in economy, labor issues, new vehicle, news analysis, people | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Battery Handlers or Sorters Untrained, at Risk from Lithium

Battery Council International says the lead battery recycling process was uniquely designed for lead batteries. Lead batteries have almost a 100% recycling rate. However, when lithium batteries enter the lead battery recycling stream, they pose a serious threat to lead battery recyclers’ employees and equipment. This is because lithium batteries can explode if they are crushed during the lead battery recycling process. Continue reading

Posted in aftermarket, auto news, autonomous vehicles, electric vehicles, labor issues, people, safety | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment