Free Republic

DETROIT (AP) — A 46% pay raise. A 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay. A restoration of traditional pensions.The demands that a more combative United Auto Workers union has pressed on General Motors, Stellantis and Ford — demands that even the UAW’s own president calls “audacious” — are edging it closer to a strike when its contract ends Sept. 14.

TORONTO - The Canadian Auto Workers union said negotiating with the big three automakers - General Motors, Chrysler and Ford - before Monday's midnight strike deadline is like juggling "a lot of balls up in the air." If the CAW, which represents 21,500 members in the three companies, doesn't reach a settlement with the big three, it could mean a walkout could start at 12:01 a.m. Monday. "It's a little tough to tell at this point in time what the impact will be because it depends upon status of bargaining with each of the three companies," CAW secretary treasurer Peter Kennedy said...

China to launch case against U.S. Big Three automakers Doug Palmer Thu, Oct 29 08:37 AM China has told the United States it is launching a trade investigation that could lead to new import duties on autos and sports utility vehicles made by Chrysler, Ford and General Motors, a U.S. industry official said on Wednesday. The action comes as U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke, Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack are in China for high-level talks aimed at resolving trade irritants between the two countries. President Barack Obama, who will visit China in mid-November, angered Beijing last...

Global markets dive as Obama rejects carmakers' plea Christine Seib in New York Global stock markets dived today after the White House denied General Motors (GM) and Chrysler multi-billion dollar bailouts and threatened to push the ailing carmakers into bankruptcy if they do not implement aggressive restructuring plans. The Obama Administration effectively seized control of the companies – ousting General Motors’ chairman and chief executive and pushed Chrysler toward a merger – after finding that the carmakers’ own restructuring plans “did not establish a credible path to viability”. The Dow Jones industrial average tumbled 215.37 points to 7,560.81 within minutes...

Capitol Hill Republicans threw the first legislative punch in the fight over union law on Wednesday, February 25. But Democrats could land a haymaker of their own later with a bill that is much more likely to obtain congressional approval. Members of the House and Senate GOP introduced a bill that would mandate secret-ballot elections to form a union. The measure is meant to counter a bill Democrats could debut any day that would make it easier for employees to organize. Called the Employee Free Choice Act, the Democratic bill would force companies to recognize unions when a majority of...

An assistance program empowering welfare recipients that also helps the auto industry. No handouts, No bailouts.

Local News crew catches UAW workers taking 4 hour drinking breaks at local bar - day after day. Go to the link to watch the video

I've received this 'funny' about 40 times in email. It's good, but not a single mention of the UAW. What I'd like to see is a nice jpeg response to send back of a bunch of UAW guys sitting around reading a newspaper saying the same thing! "You pay us either way, baby!" with a big UAW emblem in the corner.Something like that.

Low Gas Prices Dream and Nightmare By Jerry Flint WardsAuto.com, Dec 15, 2008 8:37 AM CommentaryThe Mobile service station near me on Route 9 in upstate New York recently was selling gasoline at about $2 per gallon and diesel at $3 when I filled up. In much of the U.S., folks are paying a lot less. There even is talk of gasoline falling below $1 per gallon. Of course, we all expect prices will climb again, maybe to $3 or $4 per gallon. But what if they don’t? What if the global recession and falling consumption keeps prices at $2...

Debunking Myths About Detroit By John McElroy WardsAuto.com, Dec 11, 2008 9:53 AM CommentaryThe debate about bailing out Detroit’s auto makers has hit a fever pitch. Everybody wants to weigh in with their opinion. The louder they rant, and the crazier their claims, the more coverage they get. Strangely, the media are devoting far more attention to the $34 billion bridge loan auto makers are requesting than the $700 billion bailout of the financial industry. How does that make us a better informed citizenry? There always are two sides to every argument, but this discussion shows how much misinformation, misperception...

DETROIT (AP) -- Festering animosity between the United Auto Workers and Southern senators who torpedoed the auto industry bailout bill erupted into full-fledged name calling Friday as union officials accused the lawmakers of trying to break the union on behalf of foreign automakers. The vitriol had been near the surface for weeks as senators from states that house the transplant automakers' factories criticized the Detroit Three for management miscues and bloated UAW labor costs that lawmakers said make them uncompetitive. But the UAW stopped biting its tongue after Republicans sank a House-passed bill Thursday night that would have loaned $14...

. . . for a month, that is. And the Republicans are showing some moxie in siding with the American people, who are not getting any bailout from anyone. The prospects of a $14 billion government rescue of the American auto industry seemed to vaporize Thursday as the Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, spoke out forcefully against the bill, effectively ending its chances despite the urgings of the White House. More . . .

One more time people. The House failed to stop this thing yesterday, owing to overwhelming support from the Democrats (surprise)...but now it's up to the Senate. And it's up to us to let them know we oppose this boondoggle. Detroit's Big 3 automakers - and the labor unions - want 15 billion of your tax dollars as a down-payment on a bailout that some economists say could reach over 100 billion dollars. Tell our Senators to tell them NO. Keep in mind, this comes after over a trillion dollars in bailouts for banks and insurance companies already this year -...

The mission of this website is hilarious Our mission is to demonstrate Senator Shelby what the result will be by not supporting the state of Alabama and its industries, (true American industries, not foreign companies that assemble products in the U.S.). We are starting a nationwide boycott of Alabama that will include any travel into the state well as boycotting the purchase of anything produced in any way within the state. The sad but necessary part of this initiative is that many innocent hard working people will be hurt. Just as many innocent hard working people in the Big Three,...

We're in the City of Angels this week to drive a bunch of new Fords, including the new 2010 Mustang and Fusion. We started off Monday afternoon with a mileage challenge in the new 2010 Fusion Hybrid.

Diede Silva dos Santos, 24, is a worker trained for 7 different skills in the Ford Camacari plant. When I read this story, it occurred to me if I were CEO of Ford, I would be tempted to tell Washington to keep their money.  I would just phase out North American operations, move to Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro and operate Ford as an international automaker without a presence in the USA.  My life and the profitability and health of the comany would be stronger and simpler.  Life is not that easy, but surely it has crossed the minds of senior management at Ford. As...

When the government takes over an industry, there are no market forces in play; politicians who no nothing about running anything decide they know how to revive a flagging industry; and new products are made based on Congressional political agendas rather than a public demand. When the British did a "bailout" 40 years, it was the end of the British auto industry. Congress is about to do the same thing. More . . .

By now I'm sure most of us have seen the result of a week or so of intensive image counseling with the CEO's of the "Big 3" automakers out of Detroit. While the three most powerful men in the American auto industry are selling their souls to "bail out" their companies, South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford is telling us that the auto industry in his state is strong. No matter which way you look at it or whether or not you support floating tax dollars to mismanaged companies, it raises some interesting questions. 1. Why are the "Big 3" in...

Ford, Chrysler and GM's contributions after 9/11 An interesting commentary...You might find this of interest: 'CNN Headline News did a short news listing regarding Ford and GM's contributions to the relief and recovery efforts in New York and Washington.