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2415 messages, Last post on Feb 12, 2007 at 4:41 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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Replying to: holdenguy (Feb 10, 2007 9:00 am) |
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Replying to: torque_r (Feb 10, 2007 7:40 am) Last I heard, the idea was to convert Oshawa to RWD Zeta production for MY 2009 or 10, maybe another plant for overflow, and source the G8 from Australia in the interval. |
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Replying to: holdenguy (Feb 10, 2007 8:58 am) The Monaro noses are nice, but I like this one better:  and this one best of all:  The Buick Enclave is this thing, giant unibody SUV, a size larger than a Ford Territory or Toyota Kluger. Front-wheel drive, because the only Americans who know what oversteer is are race car drivers. 
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Replying to: bumpy (Feb 10, 2007 3:03 pm) |
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Replying to: bumpy (Feb 10, 2007 3:03 pm) you and I pal are finding some common ground. I think they should leave the cars alone. Just switch the steering wheel from right to left and it's good enough. How bout this idea guys ? I personally like the Holden styling and the kidney grill from Pontiac has lost some of it's luster. I personally just love the Holden HSV and would love to see it's body work intact for a high performance G8 model. Hell it would give Pontiac some distinguishment in their trims without costing them any money. They could kill 2 birds with 1 stone.  I also like you like the Holden Statesman and that other car you showed me. I started thinking and I changed my opinion on it and believe now it would make a nice RWD Lucerne. Does the "Statesman" have Delphi's Magneride MRC ? If so that would ensure that Buick, won't loose it's ride comfort. Rocky |
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Replying to: torque_r (Feb 10, 2007 7:40 am) That is a good question ? Lutz, said if they didn't import it the G8 wouldn't of happened. A suggestion to GM, would be to save the OKC GM plant and build Zeta cars there in the future. GM, pumped hundreds of millions into that plant and would be wise to not totally waste that investment. This is something the UAW will address this contract in September in attempts to save U.S. plants from closing. The UAW, I guarantee will say to GM, look we will pay a portion of our health insurance to save you tens of billions over the years like we did last year but what do we get in return ? We want to not only save membership jobs but we want more. We the UAW will hold hands with GM, on the march to Universal Healthcare. We (GM-UAW) will work togeather to get congress to not only address healthcare, but we will lobby congress to fix the trade laws in the domestic's automobile manufactors interest. We also are in agreement the currency manipulation is killing the domestics and needs to be addressed and fixed. We will ask Ford and Chrysler to hold hands with us also. We (UAW, GM, Ford, Chrysler) togeather will also lobby congress to get billion dollar grants for alternative energy technology and we ask in return is for the big 3, to save UAW domestic jobs and build more modern facility's and improve existing ones here in the U.S. to expand and grow our membership. We the UAW want our Big 3 to build relavent products here in the U.S.A. for our citizens to buy. We the UAW will sit on the final product approval board to make sure the proper products are launched to make sure past mistakes that have cost our membership jobs doesn't happen again. We the UAW will also make work rules more flexible and cost effective for the company across the nation similar to the Lansing, Michigan plant but we will expect more union jobs in return by General Motors expanding here in the U.S. So this is my Top-5 predictions for the next UAW-GM contract. #1 Since Toyota workers are making $3 dollars an hour more than UAW workers the UAW will probably be able to save wage cuts and perhaps even gain some over the contact because they will need to make extra money to invest into the new 401K plan for retirement. #2 I expect the comapny however to increase health care costs per worker from $0.00 to $100-200 a month. This will save billions more dollars for GM. I also think we could see a small increase for retirees but I doubt it. I do believe active employees will shoulder all of the costs. #3 I expect more flexible work rules across the nation. The UAW won't lose any existing jobs but will ask for more plants and jobs to be built here in the U.S. I also expect if Universal Healthcare gets passed GM, will expand even more here in the states after 2008' and I believe this will be in the contracts language. #4 GM, will ask the UAW to delete the define benefit plan and will in return give future and recently new UAW employees a "enhanced" 401K plan to eliminate legacy costs. I expect the UAW, will be able to use this one as a bargaining chip to get more jobs and perhaps get real "profit shairing" bonuses and stock options ? I do see the define benefit plan going away but maybe the UAW can pull of a miracle and save it ? #5 Jobs Banks. UAW-President said this one is off the table but I'm still skeptical..... All of the existing members in the jobs bank have been transferred as far as I know. I know the Big 3 will go after this one but I don't think GM, will succeed. The UAW, will counter and say why are you guys worried if we already agreed you guys are going to expand here in the U.S. and regain market-share. I do think the jobs bank program will be a bigger issue with Ford and Chrysler since they are facing even greater market-share declines than GM and thus will have less jobs. Very Possible Secret #6 General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, will pressure the UAW to unionize Toyota and Honda plants if Toyota fumbles the ball and cuts wages/benefits like the recent news article suggest could happen. This alone also prevents further labor cost's that undercuts GM, Ford, Chrysler. Since GM has 400,000 employees receiving retiree healthcare packages getting a similar package secured at Toyota and Honda, for the transplant workers is in the best interest of both GM and the UAW to level the playing field further. In summary I think the September contract issue will go smooth without a strike at GM. I think it's in both party's interest to avoid a strike but GM, is going to have to remain fair and vis versa for the UAW. I believe if they work togeather during contract and their after the UAW and General Motors can make some promises to each other for the future ONLY IF GM, remains successful with the turnaround plan. It's in both sides interest to elect politicians that are friendly to american business and worker's which will save the company money while saving blue and white collar jobs at the same time. The next president and congess hold the key's to future domestic manufactoring in this country. GM, is in the business to make money for it's investors, and the UAW is in the business to make money and secure benefits for its membership. However the UAW needs the company to make money so it can get those benefits. They both have a common interest in that respect. Rocky
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Replying to: rockylee (Feb 11, 2007 2:00 am) We've had the push for "government" healthcare under various euphemisms since the Hillary secret, illegal meetings in the Hillary/Bill administration #1. We already have universal healthcare. No one goes without: the emergency rooms serve as doctor offices for many who've learned how to get the most out of that system. They use the EMS squads as taxis when they have a sore throat. The cost is picked up by county/municipal taxpayers as subsidies to the hospitals for taking indigent patients and writing off their bills. Anyone goes to the hospitals and they're covered under their welfare subsidy programs or the taxpayers in the area pay under indigent coverage. We have excellent healthcare for government officeholders in Washington. We have WIC which I believe came out of the Hillary administration #1. Children in the care of state programs and others are covered by those state taxpayers (i.e., foster children in KY). There also were some other subtle coverages. The difference is who pays for these. We taxpayers already are paying heartily for inefficient, inconsiderate users of the emergency room setup. If the taxpayers have to shoulder all the costs, the setup is going to cost much, much more overall because the politicians will make sure no voter goes unrewarded for their vote next time to the politician who implemented the most giveaway for their group. Do you know of a system the government has operated more efficiencly once they took over? Prescription drug makers are controlled by government; the cost is much higher than the same drugs in other countries! If the companies still have some control over the coverage and the implementation by the health insurance companies, it's a flip whether United Healthcare will be more efficient at coverage cost reduction at the user end (i.e., doctor's office visit UCR rates). I suspect the major companies will be better at cost control than any next federal administration will be. But just imagine the large healthcare donors and contributors helping elected officials plan how universal healthcare will be implemented using them as the handling agents? Imagine all the secret meetings that will be held a la Hillary's first attempt at socializing medicine. No matter what they call the plan, it's still a duck and the losers will be ???? US. Has anyone considered the tax costs for the program? In other countries the socialized retirement/healthcare plans cost a lot more tax money than here. For GM's benefit, there is no savior coming out of the clouds to pay retiree costs to which they agreed, unless the union wants to negotiate for retirees and workers to pay a more realistic fraction of their paychecks for the cost, like many other Americans are doing now... but I fully expect a little piece added here and little piece added there will chip away toward socialized medicine. It happened with social security. Now parents even try to get their kids labels in elementary school as mentally challenged, learning challenged, ADD, etc., so the parent can get "free" money from social security. GM will not be saved by having others pay for their workers' costs.
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Replying to: imidazol97 (Feb 11, 2007 5:30 am) John Edwards plan: http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care-overview.pdf This is a very well thought out plan that is friendly to the tax payer and american corporations. This is why the UAW-GM support a plan just like this one because it cuts costs dramatically and insurance company's compete against one another. I don't know what the Hillary's plan is ? Perhaps you do ? General Wesley Clark backs a "single payer" system which is found in Edwards plan. I didn't want to start a National Health Care debate but rather was giving my opinion on what I thought would happen by September based on current and past "shop talk" at GM, given to me by family and thought I would share it. Rocky P.S. lets move on to another issue...... 
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I guess many in the midsize sedan forum aren't impressed with the Aura.  It amazes me people will still find fault with a car that has won many awards and label it not smooth or rough.  What does GM, have to do ???? They will never satisfy all I suppose but based on what I've been reading it is doing quite well this year. Rocky
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