Chrysler News: FCA and UAW Reach Tentative Agreement

[Drew Dowdell]

The United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles have reached a tentative labor agreement for a four-year contract the union and FCA said today.

While details were not provided, the main framework of the deal is expected to mirror that of the deals made with Ford Motor Company and General Motors.   Those deals include signing bonuses of at least $9,000, no changes for healthcare, and a clearer way forward for temporary employees to become permanent status. 

On December 4th, a council of the heads of UAW locals will meet and review the agreement and must approve it prior to sending it to members to ratify. 

Some media reports say that negotiators secured promises of another $4.5 billion in investments on top of the previous $4.5 billion to open a new assembly plant in Detroit. Other facilities in Southeast Michigan would receive upgrades.   Further, the company has promised not to close any plants, and will allocate a new product to an Illinois assembly plant. 

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[USA-1]

The contract should state at the bottom: *Thank you big brother GM for all the tedious contract negotiation work and taking one (or $2Bil) for the team. 

[David]

And now the rest of American Auto companies are Screwed over again.

[riviera74]

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

And now the rest of American Auto companies are Screwed over again.

And what is your strategy for ridding the Detroit Three of the UAW once and for all?  Maybe they need the duration of the current contract in order to find a way to end this one-sided "relationship".

[Drew Dowdell]

I"m surprised the UAW was so successful this time around. They basically got everything they wanted. 

[David]

On 11/30/2019 at 7:13 PM, riviera74 said:

And what is your strategy for ridding the Detroit Three of the UAW once and for all?  Maybe they need the duration of the current contract in order to find a way to end this one-sided "relationship".

Hopefully as auto companies move to a Skateboard type platform of EV auto's they can continue to go more robotics to further reduce the UAW and as needed build plants in non-union areas. 

Unions HAD their place at one time and now have gotten as corrupt as the Political mess in DC.

If the US auto companies do not find a better way to move forward with building profitable entry level auto's to ubber luxury auto's without paying college wages to assembly line workers, their days will be numbered and they will end up in a mess.

So my strategy as you asked for is building new tech assembly plants in non-union states, automate further existing plants to reduce UAW presence and hold the line against costs so that the auto makers can offer profitable entry level auto's.

[David]

@ocnblu Laugh all you want Chuckles, please post what you would do to bring in costs from the crazy UAW.

I am awaiting blu!  

[ocnblu]

5 hours ago, dfelt said:

@ocnblu Laugh all you want Chuckles, please post what you would do to bring in costs from the crazy UAW.

I am awaiting blu!  

Nah was laughing at this continual obsession and urgent need to interject all things EV into every single comment.

[Drew Dowdell]

20 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Nah was laughing at this continual obsession and urgent need to interject all things EV into every single comment.

In this case, he's actually on topic for once. One of the big concerns for the UAW and the European unions is that EVs require fewer workers per car to build. Benz is shedding jobs as well ahead of them getting ramped up for their EV production. 

[balthazar]

[where’s my ‘cart before horse’ pic?]

[David]

23 hours ago, ocnblu said:

Nah was laughing at this continual obsession and urgent need to interject all things EV into every single comment.

Seems GM is cutting 800 jobs to retool for the pickup and van EVs at the detroit plant.

https://www.autonews.com/manufacturing/gm-cutting-800-jobs-retool-detroit-plant-evs

Per the story, QUOTE: As part of a $3 billion investment, GM plans to start building an electric pickup and van at Detroit-Hamtramck. They would be followed by electric versions of the GMC Sierra and Cadillac Escalade, according to LMC Automotive, a closely watched provider of industry sales and production forecasts.

 

Automotive News reported last month that a lengthy layoff starting in early 2020 would be needed to make the conversion from gasoline-powered sedans to battery-electric trucks. The plant will stop making the Cadillac CT6 in January and the Chevrolet Impala in February.

GM gave formal notice of the layoffs in a state-mandated filing Tuesday. Layoffs will begin Feb. 28 for most of the 800 hourly, 50 subsystem and 60 salaried workers affected. Fewer than 40 hourly workers will stay at the plant until March or April.

[ocnblu]

The trick will be finding these hidden customers who heretofore have not existed.  No sales = death.

[balthazar]

Automotive News sited a ‘source’ or was it official confirmation from GM (CT6)?

[oldshurst442]

I believe GM is still being coy, very coy, about the CT6.

They havent confirmed whether the CT6 is dead, nor confirmed that the CT6 is NOT dead.

Ever since GM first mentioned the CT6's future, the statement was vague. Interpretation good be made either way and then speculation came from speculators but not one speculating source really knows what is up with the CT6...

Same as with the Camaro. 

Edited December 5, 2019 by oldshurst442

[balthazar]

D-Ham is 4.1 million square feet.
Don’t electric vehicles take LESS room to manufacture, also?

[Robert Hall]

4 minutes ago, balthazar said:

D-Ham is 4.1 million square feet.
Don’t electric vehicles take LESS room to manufacture, also?

Perhaps...fewer parts to assemble on the line?  Electric motors and battery packs instead of an ICE powertrain? 

[balthazar]

Well, if it takes less workers, logic implies it should take less room, no?

[Robert Hall]

17 minutes ago, balthazar said:

Well, if it takes less workers, logic implies it should take less room, no?

Robots still take a lot of space, though less than human resource units. 

[oldshurst442]

https://www.wardsauto.com/ideaxchange/evs-not-easier-build-will-cut-jobs

 

Quote

 

It’s a myth that electric cars are easier to assemble than internal-combustion-engine cars. They’re not. Nor is it true that EVs have fewer parts than ICEs. They don’t. 

 

Electric advocates often claim EVs are easier to make because they use fewer parts compared with traditional cars and trucks. But a recent tour of the Magna Steyr assembly plant in Graz, Austria, shows that’s not the case. The plant makes the Jaguar I-Pace (electric) and Jaguar E-Pace (ICE) on the same line. Both cars use about the same number of assembly stations and line workers.

 

 

Factories will close. Jobs are gonna be lost. In areas where ICE is concerned. Radiator manufacturing, water pumps, oil pan construction and the like.  But new factories are gonna be built where a different type of worker will be needed...a worker that knows about electrical components and electricity and stuff...

Edited December 5, 2019 by oldshurst442

[balthazar]

Don't conflate final assembly with the dozens & dozens of sub-assemblies built off-site. Those parts mentioned above have a much greater effect on vendors' and parts plants' workers than assembly line workers.