[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]

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]

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]

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!

 

[nsap]

And people wonder why GM is building a new plant in Mexico?

This stuff just frustrates me. Here we have a hot car that is selling and the fools strike. Not to mention we're in a bad economy anymore. Yeah, what a smart move on their part.

Oh well. GM proved their little strike is not going to hurt them much. Too bad for the union. They best get use to it, because once the next-generation platforms roll around...GM will be able to shift production very quickly. Not just to other US plants either, but global plants.

 

[TheGeneral]

I'm just happy I have 2 jobs paying $8.00 an hour. Not a time to get moody with your employer!

 

[01IntrigueGX]

GM finally has a vehicle that can compete with the Camry and Accord, it has shown the world this fine car, and this is what the UAW-Fairfax does. They have secured jobs for at least four years due to the product cycle under the national bargaining. What a bunch of asinine and sorry "workers". Up at Michigan State, an editorial I viewed pretty much summed it up IMO.

Link

 

[EldoFan]

GM finally has a vehicle that can compete with the Camry and Accord, it has shown the world this fine car, and this is what the UAW-Fairfax does. They have secured jobs for at least four years due to the product cycle under the national bargaining. What a bunch of asinine and sorry "workers". Up at Michigan State, an editorial I viewed pretty much summed it up IMO.

Link

Beautiful link there man.......this is my favorite paragraph....

Regarding the union “philosophy” that has become skewed and taken advantage of, one would think Lansing Delta Township’s UAW workers would understand the ramifications that their strike is causing. The country is in a recession, and this is how the workers act? Do they not realize that their overly bloated wages and benefits packages are not only unfair to others, but skew the economics of efficiency? They should be grateful they obtain their current wages, and realize that GM invested millions in a new facility that keeps their positions.

 

[OneMeanChevy]

Now I'm not Anti-Union. However, What is this local UAW thinking.

Holding the Malibu Hostage to cut GM thoat, cuts your thoat FAR, FAR worst. GM's future and the future of your jobs depends on the Massive success of the Malibu. NO ONE WINS BY HOLDING THE MALIBU HOSTAGE!!! This is the wrong TIME, PLACE and VEHICLE for In-house fighting. We finally have an Import fighter that can get the job done, we need more on the streets not less.

THE MALIBU IS MISSON CRITICAL. SO CRITICAL, HOLDING IT HOSTAGE WILL CRITICALLY DAMAGE BOTH SIDES.
:rant::doh: