Hybrid trucks to be built in Oshawa, CAW says

[frenstall]

GM needs a small diesel stat! And I mean smaller then the one they have coming. I'm talking like 2.8-3.0L pumping out about 300lb-ft of tq and whatever HP. That would tow when you need it and be economical every other time. Sure it might accel a bit slow but who really cares if it actually becomes a good mix of economy and utility.

[ogg vorbis]

camaro won't support an entire plant...so perhaps g8 sedan and el camino (?). if the car plant will be making zeta variants, then it seems better to build a smaller car in the truck plant. sure retooling is expensive, but it'd go through past 2011...unless small cars will be built exclusively in mexico or asia.

[K Dawg ONE]

Originally Posted by ogg vorbis

camaro won't support an entire plant...so perhaps g8 sedan and el camino (?). if the car plant will be making zeta variants, then it seems better to build a smaller car in the truck plant. sure retooling is expensive, but it'd go through past 2011...unless small cars will be built exclusively in mexico or asia.

I concour.
Go back to the original plan of letting Oshawa make the G8 for MY10....

[GM-Joe]

Originally Posted by gardnet1

This is dumb. They should make those trucks at existing truck plants in Ft. Wayne, Pontiac or Flint. They should convert the Oshawa truck factory to making cars such as the Astra or some other Euro-make to get around the exchange rate woes.

Yes, they don't need another truck plant, at least not anytime soon, but truck demand will pickup in the next year or so.

I believe the Astra is earmarked for its new complex in Mexico; initially, Lordstown was a possibility, but a new Chevy will be had their.

[Budoka]

Originally Posted by fp115

This same judge is a part of a union as well. He was siding for the union during the case. The case was based on facts, read the case. Regardless if the judge at the supreme court says there was no lying and the ruling was based on this fact, then this is what you should be believing.

Ah I see no one can make a comment without you jumping in with your corporate raised anti union opinion.
First of all the case is based on the facts submitted and yes they cannot prove they lied without a doubt. But then there is believing as you state, no one can honestly believe this corporation did not know at the time of signing this contract that they were closing this plant. If they didn't know then there are bigger idiots sitting in the ivory tower called CHQ then any of us thought.
Secondly: the Judge is not part of a union he is a member of an association, there is a big big difference. But I admire what you were trying to do there and make him appear to be just another good old union boy.
Thirdly: he is not a supreme court judge he is a superior court judge, another big difference. Supreme court is the highest court in Canada and Superior court is the highest court in Ontario.

[Budoka]

Originally Posted by ogg vorbis

camaro won't support an entire plant...so perhaps g8 sedan and el camino (?). if the car plant will be making zeta variants, then it seems better to build a smaller car in the truck plant. sure retooling is expensive, but it'd go through past 2011...unless small cars will be built exclusively in mexico or asia.

All very good and true points. But there is on thing, the truck plant is a very unique plant, it runs with AGV's ( automated guided vehicles ) and monorail system. It is like one of the original flex manufacturing plants, with modifications to the AGV's and monorail carriers this plant can run anything, and the modifications would be cheap and easy to do. The truck paintshop is outdated but the car plant paintshop as everyone knows is brand new and not very far from the truck plant. They could run cars or whatever vehicle they want across a bridge quite easily and paint them in the new paintshop.
That leaves only one problem, how do we compete with the Mexicans and their $1.50 an hour wages?

[SV6]

If they build the hybrid in Oshawa its because GM will have to pay the Ontario Goverment back money they were loaned to build hybrids so by building them even for a short time they can get out of paying the money back.

[Joe in T.O.]

Since our Ontario government buys so many prius and civic hybrids, how many GM hybrid trucks will they buy to replace the gas guzzling Fords they now use?

[Uzzy]

Originally Posted by Joe in T.O.

Since our Ontario government buys so many prius and civic hybrids, how many GM hybrid trucks will they buy to replace the gas guzzling Fords they now use?

Well the OPP is replacing a lot of their Crown Vics with Tahoes, but the Tahoe Hybrid is not being built here and I don't think they are looking to buy Hybrids anyway.

[Joe in T.O.]

I started noticing the Tahoes too but I was thinking about the Hybrid pickups when they eventually come out.

[Uzzy]

So is this actually happening? The only place I've seen or heard anything about this is, here in this thread.

[fp115]

The police cannot use hybrids due to increased risks and costs. Its not a very practical alternative.

[AMERICA 123]

Now that we have the damage from the previous thread fixed about the Judge and what he actually said......

http://www.newsdurhamregion.com/news...article/101837

Slamming autoworkers unfair
Sat Jul 05, 2008

By: By Dennis Keefer

There's an old expression that says, "Never judge another until you've walked a mile in their shoes."

These timely words are something to consider for any who may hold an unfair bias against the unionized workforce that has consistently set benchmarks at GM's truck plant in Oshawa.

The men and women who toil in this factory take a back seat to no one when it comes to quality and productivity, as evidenced by this year's awards from J.D. Power and the Harbour Report.

And neither of these awards are one-hit wonders.

Indeed, this same truck plant consecutively claimed the Harbour Report four years straight at one stretch during the last decade.

Such achievements could hardly have come about without a talented and dedicated workforce.

Yet, in spite of these well-publicized awards, there is no shortage of people who like to label these men and women as lazy, overpaid workers.

Adding insult to injury, many of these same people are now enjoying a vindictive gloat that the truck plant is slated to close in 2009.

In their prejudiced minds, the massive loss of jobs is something these autoworkers have brought upon themselves.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Starting in 1987 with the introduction of the extended cab pickup truck, this facility quickly became the golden jewel for GM.

Demand for the products built here in Oshawa became so great that it was the first North American automotive plant to run on three shifts.

Even then, working six days a week became commonplace.

If not for the economic slowdown in the U.S., coupled with the dramatic and unprecedented rise in gasoline prices, this truck plant's future would still be looking bright.

As far as their wages are concerned, this represents a mere six per cent of the cost of a new vehicle.

The rest of the cost is eaten up by other elements such as development, tooling, infrastructure and advertising.

This is not to suggest that any of these people are underpaid, but it does put into focus how their wages had a minimal adverse effect when it came to the decision to cease production of pickups in 2009.

The glory days of pickup trucks are receding as the market retreats to where it was before the introduction of the extended cab.

In spite of the evidence, I imagine some people will continue to malign Oshawa's unionized autoworkers.

One final point to ponder is that unionized labour is not the only workforce in the automotive plants of Ontario.

Toyota and Honda have plants here and pay their workforce comparable money and benefits to union workers, and yet their plants haven't captured the big awards for quality or productivity.

So isn't it surprising that so many continue to point fingers in the wrong direction when labelling who they believe are lazy, overpaid autoworkers.

I for one, hope this plant and workforce can in fact, somehow stay in the factory planning and product mix for a very long time.