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program, which paid UAW workers who were not working, the company said
today.
The moves come as GM and Chrysler are racing to get concessions from
labor and other stakeholders as required under the terms of the $17.4
billion federal rescue of the two companies.
The 1,600 UAW workers in GM’s jobs bank will be placed on layoff and
must apply for unemployment. Between a mixture of unemployment and
company pay, they will then receive about 72% of their normal
compensation, GM spokesman Tony Sapienza said.
“We are confirming that as of Monday, Feb. 2, we are ending the jobs
bank,” Sapienza said. “Effective Monday, anyone that’s in the jobs bank
goes immediately into layoff.”
The federal loans to GM and Chrysler called for the "elimination of the
payment of any compensation or benefits to U.S. employees of the company
or any subsidiary who have been fired, laid-off, furloughed, or idled,
other than customary severance pay."
GM indicated that with the elimination of jobs bank it believes the
company is meeting that requirement. However, the automaker noted that
talks are still underway.
“This allows us to put a portion of our unemployment costs to the
states, as most companies traditionally do,” Sapienza said. “The terms
of the loan agreement say that our severance policy has to be in line
with what is customary. We believe this is in line with customary
severance and layoff policy. We are continuing to work with our union
partners to discuss other elements of the bridge loan and the things we
still need to do.”
canceled, but GM tells us plans to build the new 1.4-liter four-banger
powering the Chevy Volt and Cruze in Flint remain unchanged.
Despite reports to the contrary, and despite construction contracts
being canceled by GM, spokesperson Sharon Basel told us via e-mail the
General's committed to building their new 1.4-liter engine for the Chevy
Volt and the turbo version for the Chevy Cruze (above) in Flint:
"Our plans to build the 1.4L Family 0 engine for the Volt and Cruze
in Flint have not changed. In December we announced we would delay
construction of a new plant. At that time we made decisions necessary to
conserve capital. We continue to hold our timing, but yesterday it was
necessary to make decisions on related construction contracts so we
wouldn't incur any additional costs."
Additionally, Basel told the Flint News GM was examining all options —
including using existing buildings on site.
ramirez8167, you may have noticed that you can't build or locate a 2009
model on Saturn's website. That's because there isn't one.
With plenty of dealer stock on-hand for the slow-moving Opel-based
hatch, General Motors has simply decided to sell through their existing
inventory of 2008s instead of creating a parking lot with additional
2009 model year stock. We spoke with Steve Janisse, group manager for
Saturn communications this morning, and he confirmed that while there
will be no 2009 model, a 2010 is scheduled and on track for a spring
roll-out. Given this unfortunate economic environment and GM's rude
health, of course, we'll wait to "call the ball" until 2010s are on
dealer forecourts. In any case, no major changes are planned for the
2010 model, although minor items like the availability of new paint
colors are expected.
A major problem is I'd rather have a removable unit which I can replace or upgrade IF I have a navi at all. Some people have commented about the cost of upgrades to their captive in car navi units.
Another end is, while I realize some people consider it a necessity, I don't need it other than rarely. I resent the typical bundling of companies in that if you want certain options you have to take the navi as well. I would like a combination that I can determine if I want the expensive toy.
My only use would be if traffic is stopped on a road in an area where I'm unfamiliar, and I want to know how to get around that blockage.
I realize some people want that option and like the builtin aspect. And I realize some people don't.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Just saying it's nice to have the option. Fusion, Accord, etc etc appeal to both people who do and do not want an integrated nav system. Malibu can only sell to those who do NOT want an integrated nav, which is a limitation.
It's the whole GM lineup. The Cadillac CTS is not made for a normal height adult. The STS was not much better. The only mid-size or normally priced car GM has with any room is the Pontiac G8 which is quite roomy. I'd have a CTS right now if it had a back seat like the G8. My Camry had a back seat with more room for a tall person; considerably more so than anything I sat in of the GM line other than the G8.
I'm a little confused: GM's ending the jobs bank, but the workers on layoff will still get some company pay? More smoke and mirrors?
That brings back memories. My brother wore out the front tires on one of those in 5000 miles
I remember having a rental Corsica. It was OK for what it was but I only had to live with it for a week. It was fast enough. I managed to get a ticket in that week...
To give a fair evaluation the 97 Malibu was a clear improvemnt over that Corsica.
Not sure of your point. Malibu, an otherwise pretty good car, doesn't offer built-in NAV like just about every other car in the segment. Add-ons have wires. GM should have offered this as an option. My Mazda 5 offers it. The Honda Fit offers it. Why not GM on one of their best cars? :confuse:
2 or 3. Power, audio, and optionally traffic update antenna. Otherwise you're running off of internal battery and using the internal speaker, rather than running on engine power and going through the speakers in the car.
The question remains, why did GM choose to not offer an in-dash nav option? They're leaving sales on the table that way.
With Job Banks GM paid about 95% of the income to the job banked person for 2 years. This was an agreement years ago to allow GM/Ford/Chrysler, by the UAW, to put more automation in the assembly plants until they could be put back to work. However sales dropped for GM (and Ford/Chrysler) and they still had many in the job banks. Recently that 95% pay has dropped to around 85%. And the number in the job banks has fallen to 1600 people. (less than one plants worth)
Now the laid off employee gets state unemployment insurance and something called sub pay from the manufacturer to supplement the unemployment insurance. This sub pay is temporary and I am not sure how long it last. OK it is 48 weeks. This sub pay was put in place because of the way this industry used to work. There were often temporary shut downs for changeovers, etc. that could last months at a time.
When 48 weeks of unemployment and SUB pay are exhausted, the workers will move into GM’s Jobs Bank and return to full pay for a maximum of two years.
While in the Jobs Bank, workers must accept job transfers to other GM facilities or be cut completely from the automaker’s wage and benefits programs.
About 1,600 workers will now be classified as laid off and must apply for state and federal unemployment benefits. Workers will receive some GM-subsidized payments along with their unemployment benefits, which means they will continue to earn about 72% of their pay.
GM is also in talks with the United Auto Workers to end its "sub pay" contributions, GM spokesman Tony Sapienza said.
a little explanation.
The SUB Plan is a benefit provided in the collective bargaining agreement between Ford and the UAW. As its name implies, the SUB Plan offers eligible laid off workers extra unemployment benefits during temporary production downturns, to supplement state or federal unemployment benefits. SUB Plans were created in the UAW's 1955 collective bargaining agreement with Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler. The Ford SUB Fund is funded solely by contributions from Ford based on a formula set forth in the Plan.
10
Employees accumulate credit units based upon actual weeks worked up to a maximum of 52 credits. When employees are laid off, they surrender credit units to receive SUB benefits. The number of credit units required to obtain a benefit for any given week is a function of the level of the Fund, the credit unit cancellation base and the employees' seniority. As the SUB Fund level and the credit unit cancellation base decrease, less senior employees surrender more credit units than more senior employees. If the credit unit cancellation base drops below a level set forth in the Plan, employees with less than 10 years' seniority are not entitled to any SUB benefits.
11
An employee has no unqualified right to receive SUB benefits; the SUB Plan expressly states that "No person shall have any right, title or interest in or to any of the assets of the Fund...." Nevertheless, to the extent that funds are available, an eligible laid off employee is entitled to receive--and Ford is obligated to pay--SUB benefits.
But I do have one in my Enclave and I love it. Would probably not buy another vehicle w/o it. Also the new Lacrosse, which is on the same EPS architecture (updated) does have nav available.
I just tried to build a Camry and I had to get the SE or XLE to have nav available and it was $3500 with the JBL system forced with it. With an XLE the same packager was $2900. If I got the V6 with the XLE it was $2800. Seems pretty expensive.
There's a forum here NAV GPS . IIRC the portable units are better to upgrade and keep up-to-date at lower expense. I'm sure for $250 I can find a wonderful NAV unit that I can replace in two years with all the new features that are sure to be added to the electronics by then.
Neighbor has NAV in his Honda RLs. But it's hard to get lost commuting between here and Cincinnati for each of them.
I'm don't think it's a feature to bash a car for not including in the lineup. Maybe someone has data on the number of sales after the gloss wore off when they were new and can compare that to the cost of engineering it in and keeping updates available. There may be a small number of people who ardently want it, but the general population may have a reality check on NAV.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If a car is supposed to compete in a certain class, and most of the other members of that class include it as an option, then said car is going to be panned for not including it as an option, period.
Here is some more "brilliant" GM engineering. Had a 71 Firebird Formula 400 (also had a 71 Trans Am) with air condtioning and center console. Heater core failed in Jan and decided to fix by myself. Had shop manual and it said that front fender and hood had to be taken off to get at core which had hoses to radiator on firewall "BENEATH" the air cond plenum. In 0-10 degrees garage, pulled off hood, fender. Then, to get at core under dash had to remove air cond ducts. But wait, to get ducts out, had to remove center console. Think I also had to unloosen passenger front seat. Now that is GM engineering for "maintainence". Guess GM engineers didn't know any better or they were trying to provide extra revenue for GM Pontiac dealer mechanics.
Whatever you guess for that 3-month loss which is continuing into this year, exactly how long is GM's and GMAC's $ going to last? What are they doing to cut costs EQUAL to their losses, before they run out of that $?
Now that I think of it, do the LaCrosse and Impala offer Nav?
Personally, I don't have a desire for Nav myself, but if that's something that enough buyers in a given market want, then GM better make sure they offer it.
"But wait, there's more!" More and more crap that the unions managed to muscle out of GM. If I was GM, I'd gladly declare bankruptcy and get rid of the UAW forever.
Hardest car I remember to get plugs changed.
Regards,
OW
Those who must have NAV will be better served with Garmin. Much better, easier to operate than many factory installed nav systems out there. Not to mention cheaper.
GM might make a swap in its European production plans, shifting Buick assembly to Opel and Saab assembly to Sweden. Names of the models in question haven't been mentioned, but the Opel Insignia, Chinese-spec Buick Regal and coming Saab 9-5 are all built on GM's Epsilon II platform.
The original plan was to produce the Saab 9-5 in Sweden, and Saab has been studying the Trollhatten factory's viability for the task. Factory representatives at the Russelsheim plant have also been lobbying for more cars to produce, thinking the operation underutilized, and they would certainly be building more Buicks than Saabs. And if other rumors are correct, it would keep siblings that GM plans to bring closer together - Opel and Buick - under the same roof.
The swap, which would mean not building any new Saabs in Germany, would also send 9-3 production to Sweden. Sending 9-5 production there as well could also be seen as another step in extricating Saab from GM's web to assist in efforts to find a buyer for the brand.
I had a 71 Mustang convertible in HS with 351 Cleveland and while tight, I didn't have to remove anything to get the plugs out. I remember the drivers side being worse with the master cylinder and powersteering etc. I don't remember the changes made in '71 or the physical differences between a 351W vs 351 C.
Those who must have NAV will be better served with Garmin. Much better, easier to operate than many factory installed nav systems out there. Not to mention cheaper.
Because some people want:
- A bigger screen than available on a portable
- No wires hanging all over the dash
- No worrying about battery life (see wires)
- Integration with the car speakers (also see wires)
- Integration with the stereo for cool unneeded effects to distract us while driving
- to be able to play DVDs when parked
And those that want this may also be willing to shell out for it. If they weren't willing to, no one would offer in-dash nav systems. Case closed.
Of course all above is rumors. Why would they build the Buick in Germany when the Delta is being built here.
And if most of the other cars aren't selling enough of the item to worth the cost of carrying it as a separate item, a manufacturer concentrating the product quality shouldn't be panned because they didn't waste money rearranging the dash and innards to have that seldom-purchased option. Period.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
If that were true then they WOULDN'T be offering it as an option, now would they? :shades: Apparently Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru, and Ford found that it's cost-effective to offer it as an option in their midsizers. So the question remains: why hasn't GM? Is it because they'd rather sell OnStar (which is just like having your friend read you directions, only you get to pay for it)? Because they just don't care about measuring up to the competition?
I'm not 100% certain on this (correct me if I'm wrong) but I'm fairly sure the Malibu uses a 1.5 or double-DIN standard-shaped stereo. They could buy an in-dash nav OFF THE SHELF and offer it in the thing if that's so...the cost of offering it as an option is minimal, especially compared to guys like Toyota and Honda with their weird dash setups.
The person calling has to identify themself.
Just curious, how do people feel about their car being able to tattle on them. Example, someone has an accident and the black box is capable of being read to tell how fast you were going and what you were doing in the minutes before and up to the accident?
I recall someone with a car problem in another forum, and the car started doing whatever it was when it was being run in a certain gear at 6000 rpm or so the dealer shop told the owner after checking conditions under which the problem had set a code.
Locally a year or so ago a person was driving down a narrow country road at 112 mph in a Mercedes and hit a student getting off a stopped school bus.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
This I agree. Most people in the sub 25k market look for mere A to B transport, they don't care for NAV. Heck I believe most will pass on sunroof if possible (almost impossible as most cars are built with sunroof as "required option").
I still don't see the point in paying 3k for NAV when you can get a handheld for 1k, but that's just me. As bpizzuti noted, there must be enough takers out there otherwise the manufacturers would've ditched the item.
I hop J.D. Power got that one!
Regards,
OW
Some will be pleased as they can figure out problems correctly from the blackbox datas, some will balk as that means they can no longer lie to the friendly police officers and insurance agents. :P
If you get in an accident, try getting your "nav system" to dial 911.
GM's bondholders and the company have each hired advisers on how to complete a debt-to-equity exchange that the automaker expects will reduce its unsecured U.S. debt to $9 billion from nearly $28 billion.