jakncoke
12-12-2008, 12:30 PM
GREG KEENAN
Globe and Mail Update
December 12, 2008 at 12:38 PM EST
TORONTO — General Motors said Friday it will cut another 250,000 vehicles from its first-quarter production schedule by temporarily closing 21 factories across North America.
The move affects most plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Many will be shut down for the whole month of January. Spokesman Tony Sapienza said normal production would be around 750,000 cars and trucks for the quarter.
GM and nearly all automakers who sell in the U.S. are mired in the worst sales slump in 26 years.
Canadian Auto Workers president Ken Lewenza called for the Canadian government to act immediately on a bailout.
General Motors
The Globe and Mail
“We could work for free and the Detroit Three wouldn't sell one more car,” he said on a conference call with journalists.
Chrysler's Windsor minivan plant would be down all of January, with a new two-week layoff at Chrysler in Brampton, Ont., as well, he said.
Most Canadian plants will be shut down for much of the month, Lewenza said.
General Motors has denied it was shutting down all its North American operations in January after a Canadian Auto Workers official said the company told him it would.
Chris Buckley, president of CAW Local 222, also told CTV Newsnet that GM has announced its car plants in Oshawa, Ont., east of Toronto will shut down for the entire month of January and the first two weeks of February.
Mr. Buckley says the union has been asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government to send GM, Ford and Chrysler a strong signal they understand the crisis — and that they want to be part of the solution.
But he says they continue to sit back and see what happens in the United States.
Mr. Buckley says what happened in the U.S. last night is absolutely devastating.
The U.S. Senate rejected the proposed $14-billion (U.S.) bailout package for the Detroit Big Three auto makers but the White House and U.S. Treasury Department said today they are prepared to act to avoid any possible collapse of America's three largest auto companies.
- With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press
I hope UAW burn in hell! for those that didn't hear, the bailout for the big 3 was nearly ready to be passed but UAW thought they'd be awesome and get all greedy and refuse a pay cut before the contract expires in 2011
Globe and Mail Update
December 12, 2008 at 12:38 PM EST
TORONTO — General Motors said Friday it will cut another 250,000 vehicles from its first-quarter production schedule by temporarily closing 21 factories across North America.
The move affects most plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Many will be shut down for the whole month of January. Spokesman Tony Sapienza said normal production would be around 750,000 cars and trucks for the quarter.
GM and nearly all automakers who sell in the U.S. are mired in the worst sales slump in 26 years.
Canadian Auto Workers president Ken Lewenza called for the Canadian government to act immediately on a bailout.
General Motors
The Globe and Mail
“We could work for free and the Detroit Three wouldn't sell one more car,” he said on a conference call with journalists.
Chrysler's Windsor minivan plant would be down all of January, with a new two-week layoff at Chrysler in Brampton, Ont., as well, he said.
Most Canadian plants will be shut down for much of the month, Lewenza said.
General Motors has denied it was shutting down all its North American operations in January after a Canadian Auto Workers official said the company told him it would.
Chris Buckley, president of CAW Local 222, also told CTV Newsnet that GM has announced its car plants in Oshawa, Ont., east of Toronto will shut down for the entire month of January and the first two weeks of February.
Mr. Buckley says the union has been asking Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his government to send GM, Ford and Chrysler a strong signal they understand the crisis — and that they want to be part of the solution.
But he says they continue to sit back and see what happens in the United States.
Mr. Buckley says what happened in the U.S. last night is absolutely devastating.
The U.S. Senate rejected the proposed $14-billion (U.S.) bailout package for the Detroit Big Three auto makers but the White House and U.S. Treasury Department said today they are prepared to act to avoid any possible collapse of America's three largest auto companies.
- With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press
I hope UAW burn in hell! for those that didn't hear, the bailout for the big 3 was nearly ready to be passed but UAW thought they'd be awesome and get all greedy and refuse a pay cut before the contract expires in 2011