Tag Archives: UAW

10.19.09
by

Ford commits to new vehicles at U.S. plants, no such progress for St. Thomas Assembly Plant

Ford Motor Co. (F-N7.570.152.02%) has promised the United Auto Workers that its U.S. plants will receive a flurry of new vehicles, transmissions and other work during the next few years, while refusing so far to allocate new products to two Canadian plants.

Three Ford assembly plants – in Chicago, Louisville, Ky., and Wayne, Mich. – will begin building new vehicles in the next two years, and a commercial van called the Transit Connect that is now imported from Europe will be built at a UAW plant if North American assembly becomes necessary, according to investment commitments contained in a new contract between Ford and the union.

“The company reaffirmed its commitment to the UAW and its manufacturing presence in the U.S.,” Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s group vice-president of global manufacturing, said in a letter to UAW officials that is part of the new contract.

Full story

10.15.09
by

CAW Under pressure to make deal with Ford

Pressure has shifted to the Canadian Auto Workers union after Ford Motor Co. struck a concession-laden deal with the United Auto Workers.

Canada must remain competitive with its U. S. neighbour to maintain automotive investment and the union must look at bringing Ford’s labour costs here in line with its American workers — as well as GM and Chrysler — or risk losing jobs, Ken Lewenza, CAW national president, warned Wednesday.

“There is serious pressure. We should not underestimate that we always measure ourselves against the Americans. We always have, we always will,” Lewenza said.

“They are better positioned now than we are,” he said of the UAW deal. “If we do not get an agreement, it will be disastrous.”

Full story

04.13.09
by

Sterling Truck Corp. Closes After 11 Years

Former Sterling Truck plant in St. Thomas

Former Sterling Truck plant in St. Thomas


Sterling Truck Corp. officially ended its 11-year life span last month when the last Class 8 rolled off the St. Thomas, Ontario, assembly line, part of a final order for ABF Freight System Inc.

Parent firm Daimler AG declined requests last week from Transport Topics to discuss Sterling. But Dave Elliot, president of the Canadian Auto Workers, Local 1001, which represented workers at the plant, said the final new truck, of 257,300 produced, was completed on March 4.
Full story

11.29.08
by

Why the North American auto industry is in trouble

From Richard Patton
This is a video of a new Ford plant in Brazil.
Talk about “just in time” inventory controls.
No wonder the North American auto industry is in big trouble.
One look at this and you will be able to tell why there will probably never be another one built
in the USA or Canada.
It will also point out why more assembly plants will go offshore.
View video
Pay attention to the last few words. It says a lot!