Category Archives: labor issues

Meeting: IG Metall, Opel Works Council, PSA Group on GM Selling Opel/Vauxhall

Posted on 21 February 2017 by Ken Zino

There is, of course, a large amount of ceremonial ritual about takeovers. The acquired are treated differently once they are in the harem. Remember the merger of equals between Chrysler and Daimler, when Daimler basically took over the company and stripping assets on the way. Beijing Jeep in the world’s largest car market is now building Mercedes-Benz models. Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues, news analysis | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, carlos tavares, GM Sale of Opel Vauxhall, IG Metall, Ken Zino, Opel European Works Council, psa group, Wolfgang Schäfer-Klug, Xavier Chéreau | Leave a comment

Trump Triumphs? Ford Cancels Mexico Plant

Posted on 3 January 2017 by Ken Zino

This appears to be a partial victory for the twit tweets of Donald Trump that are centered around U.S. jobs. About 700 jobs will eventually be created. However, Ford will build its next-generation Focus at an existing plant in Hermosillo, Mexico “to improve company profitability.” Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Donald Trump on Jobs, flat rock, Hermosillo, Ken Zino, mexico, nafta, san luis potosi | 1 Comment

Un-Sweet Tweet – Trump Outburst Against Chevrolet Cruze

Posted on 3 January 2017 by Ken Zino

Incoming U.S. President Donald Trump today raged against General Motors, threatening to impose a “big border tax” for making some Chevrolet Cruze cars in Mexico. Continue reading →

Posted in economy, labor issues, news analysis | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, chevrolet cruze, Ken Zino, Mexican auto production, nafta, Trump on jobs | Leave a comment

Unions Sue Renault-Nissan Alliance in Three Countries

Posted on 23 December 2016 by Ken Zino

IndustriALL and its US affiliate the United Auto Workers are suing Renault Nissan for what it claims are serious labor right violations at Nissan North America’s manufacturing facilities in Canton, Mississippi. Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, IndustriALL, Ken Zino, Nissan Canton Mississippi, Nissan North America, uaw | Leave a comment

Teamsters Strike at Selland Auto Transport

Posted on 21 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Selland transports new automobiles across the western U.S. for Toyota, Honda, VW, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, Kia Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Selland Auto Transport, Teamsters Carhaul | Leave a comment

Collision Course – Trump, Mexico, NAFTA

Posted on 15 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Despite what appears to be Trumps ill-informed trade views – if they are informed at all – CAR using data, not diatribes, observes that the major reason for this rapid growth of the auto industry in Mexico comes from the injection of $13.3 billion in investment to move 3.3 million units of vehicle capacity from Japan, Germany, and South Korea to Mexico Continue reading →

Posted in economy, labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, automotive trade issues, center for automotive research, Ken Zino, LMC consultancy, Mexican auto industry, nafta, trade, Trump versus NAFTA | Leave a comment

Porsche Consulting: Fear of Computers, Robots Rises with Age

Posted on 15 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Forty-two percent of employees say that computers and robots have taken over tasks previously done by people in their immediate work environments over recent years. Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues, people | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino, Porsche consulting, robots and computerized machines | Leave a comment

15,000 Steelworkers March to EU Headquarters in Brussels

Posted on 10 November 2016 by Ken Zino

Over the past seven years, more than 80,000 steelworkers lost jobs in the European industry. Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues, manufacturing | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, eu, European Steelworkers job losses, IG Metall, IndustriALL, IndustriALL Europe Steelworkers Protest-Brussels November, Ken Zino | Leave a comment

Unifor Autoworkers Ratify Ford Canada Contract

Posted on 8 November 2016 by Ken Zino

The new agreement achieved the union’s top priority to secure investment, product and jobs at the Windsor operations and it follows the pattern of financial gains achieved with GM and Fiat-Chrysler. Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Canadian auto talks, Ford Motor Canada, Ken Zino, unifor | Leave a comment

Mexican Senate Approves Labor Law Reforms

Posted on 27 October 2016 by Ken Zino

The Mexican Senate has unanimously approved an initiative that amends Articles 107 and 123 of the Mexican Constitution, leading the way for what could be a serious advance for workers in the country. This would impact the auto companies doing … Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, charro unions, IndustriALL, Juntas de Conciliación y Arbitraje, Ken Zino, Los Mineros, nafta | Leave a comment

Unifor FCA Autoworkers Ratify Four-Year Deal

Posted on 17 October 2016 by Ken Zino

Diverse workers at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles attended local ratification meetings on Sunday and voted to ratify a four-year contract that secures both investment and wage improvements for 9,750 *Unifor members Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, FCA 2016 Canadian autoworker talks, FCA Canada, gm canada, Ken Zino, taxpayer subsidies, unifor | Leave a comment

Unions Discuss Transatlantic Organizing

Posted on 13 October 2016 by Ken Zino

In what could have broad implications for U.S. automakers – particularly those with non-union transplants – German and U.S. union members met in Berlin today to make plans to build power on both sides of the Atlantic through coordinated organizing. It won’t be easy given the prevalence of union-busting in the U.S. even at German companies. Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues | Tagged afl-cio, autoinformed, autoinformed.com, IndustriALL, IUE-CWA IG Metall, Ken Zino, Service Employees International Union, Transatlantic Labor Dialogue, Transatlantic Labor Institute, uaw | Leave a comment

Unifor Faces Down FCA – Job and Investment Pattern Upheld

Posted on 11 October 2016 by Ken Zino

In round two of contract talks with the Detroit Three in Canada, Unifor upheld the pattern at FCA that was established when it took on a belligerent General Motors. Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, Canadian Auto Labor talks 2016, FCA Canada, Ken Zino, uaw, Unifor 2016 labor talks | 1 Comment

Appeals Court Affirms Right to Organize at Mercedes-Benz

Posted on 6 October 2016 by Ken Zino

The latest union busting dispute comes at a time when IndustriALL, a growing global coalition of unions representing 50 million members, elected Jörg Hofmann from Germany as President. Hofmann comes from German metalworkers’ trade union, IG Metall, where he is also President. Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, IG Metall, IndustriALL l, Ken Zino, labor law, nlrb, uaw | Leave a comment

India Honda Workers’ Hunger Strike on Week 2

Posted on 29 September 2016 by Ken Zino

Five fired employees of the Tapukara plant of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India (HMSI) began a hunger strike on 19 September demanding reinstatement of workers and the “withdrawal of false police charges” filed against them. On 26 September, the eighth … Continue reading →

Posted in labor issues, manufacturing, news analysis | Tagged autoinformed, autoinformed.com, honda, india, Ken Zino, workers’ rights | Leave a comment