GM Makes Move To Protect Chevrolet Malibu Production

[Perian]

Source: Automotive News Email

David Barkholz and Robert Sherefkin - Automotive News
May 5, 2008 - 2:00 pm ET

DETROIT -- General Motors isn't about to let a UAW strike today at a Kansas City, Kan., assembly plant interrupt production of its hot-selling Chevrolet Malibu sedan.

By the end of this week GM will be able to produce Malibu fenders at its stamping plant in Lansing, Mich., a Detroit-area UAW official said today. The fenders have been produced at the Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas.

That production shift will allow GM to continue building Malibu sedans at its secondary source for the cars, the Orion Township (Mich.) assembly plant, said Mike Dunn, chairman of UAW Local 5960 in Orion.

GM spokesman Chris Lee said today the move has been in the works for several weeks and wasn't planned as a response to strike threats at the Fairfax plant. GM made duplicate production dies for the fenders in Fairfax and shipped them to Lansing six weeks ago.

Dunn said GM has enough of the fenders in stock to continue Malibu production in Orion through the end of the week. By then, GM will be able to make the fenders in Lansing.

The Lansing stamping plant is one of only about a dozen GM plants with local UAW contracts. Another 60 plants are without agreements.

[EcL1pZ]

Well at least they won't stop production.. they need the extra income more than ever now with SUV sales down

[CrunkedRL]

Great move by GM to take evasive action for a car they can't build enough of, but I wonder what would this mean for the Aura and G6. I've been seeing more and more Aura XE's in the wild so I would imagine an impending strike would limit availibilty.

[HoosierRon]

So do the striking Kansas City UAW brothers consider the working Lansing UAW brothers to be scabs?

[Ambalanche]

Yes, but the Malibu is clearly the #1 priority!

[GM-Joe]

The UAW is killing themselves and GM. The G6 and Malibu are at a pace to sell about 240k units each and then this happens; how sad it is becoming. http://www.autonews.com/article/20080505/ANA02/381051801/1197

[NfamousZ24]

Originally Posted by HoosierRon

So do the striking Kansas City UAW brothers consider the working Lansing UAW brothers to be scabs?

No, Shipping fenders across country like that is Wasteful and ins't GMS. GM was going to do this even if UAW wasn't going to strike against Fairfax.

[SUPERBADD75]

while this sounds awesome in theory, if it was a planned move from the start then it proves nothing, and it still means that there are other cars not being produced. not to mention that it drops build capacity which GM needs for the Malibu now since it's clearly a hot item. SUVs are going down, they need to build all the cars they can.

[MOOSTOPHA]

well all i know is they need to do whatever it takes to keep this car coming.

[DuSpinnst]

Originally Posted by NfamousZ24

No, Shipping fenders across country like that is Wasteful and ins't GMS. GM was going to do this even if UAW wasn't going to strike against Fairfax.

Exactly, and from what I understand UAW Locals don't automatically have fondness for each other. So infighting does happen between them.

[gardnet1]

GM should start some public negotiations with the mexican plants for additional work, that will stiffle the strikers real quick.

[cainsw]

It's always bash the unions on here and no one wants to think GM is trying to jerk anyone around? Why is there 70 something plants but only a dozen that have contracts? I have no problem with give backs to the company but come on guys. 50+ plants with no contract, some have been without one since Sept. I know most of you on here only want to think poor pitiful GM vs evil blood sucking UAW but I can tell you that most of you do not have a clue how dirty both GM and the UAW are. That is the problem with GM/UAW they're both more worried about sticking it to each other than they are worried about working their problems out.

[DuSpinnst]

Originally Posted by cainsw

It's always bash the unions on here and no one wants to think GM is trying to jerk anyone around? Why is there 70 something plants but only a dozen that have contracts? I have no problem with give backs to the company but come on guys. 50+ plants with no contract, some have been without one since Sept. I know most of you on here only want to think poor pitiful GM vs evil blood sucking UAW but I can tell you that most of you do not have a clue how dirty both GM and the UAW are. That is the problem with GM/UAW they're both more worried about sticking it to each other than they are worried about working their problems out.

The reason it is so hard to make plant deals is that work rules are a bitch to agree on. You should see some of the work rules they have now, laughable. Management may be dirty, but they typically are right overall, even if it means a few workers get screwed.

I get screwed at work everyday, that is why they pay me to show up. Work isn't suppose to be fun or easy.

[Steel4ring]

Fairfax fools....They have great paying jobs and they walk off the job during a bad economy.

Dumb trying to deep six the best product your company has going........with the move to Orion the Fairfax folks have also assured themselves of no future overtime once back on line....as post strike capacity will be increased.

[ChevroletRevived]

Really stupid move on the part of the local UAW workers, striking the plant on one of GM's best selling new products. Way to go guys!