Damon Lavrinc
Ford, UAW/Unions
Ford stands as the last domestic automaker in the process of negotiating its labor contract with the UAW, and details of the new contract have begun to hit the web. The Detroit News has an in-depth article on what’s gone down thus far, but for those of us with attention spans akin to meth-addled Chihuahuas, they put together a listing of the major elements of the new contract, while comparing and contrasting what Ford’s cross-town rivals have already agreed to.
On the job side of the equation, two-tier wages will be enacted for new employees until 20-percent of the work force lies in the lower wage bracket. Employees currently in the “Job Bank” have one year to either pick a new position or quit the company, compared to GM’s “take the first, or take the second, then you’re done” setup, or Chryslers two-year term in the Bank. Another health care VEBA is planned for Ford retirees, with a 40-percent cash infusion, compared to GM’s 54-percent and Chrysler’s 59-percent.
Ford will shutter two additional manufacturing centers – the Wayne Stamping and Assembly Plant and the Ohio Assembly Plant – and won’t close any other plants aside from those already announced. The money they didn’t contribute to the VEBA will be invested into plants, specifically to make these centers more flexible so they can manufacture any vehicle in the Blue Oval’s arsenal. Ford will also make product commitments to the Wayne plant and a few other facilities.
You can read the entire summary by click the “Read” link below.
[Source: Detroit News]
Source: Details emerge on Ford/UAW contract
Not one to fear revealing his age, TTAC's Frank Williams says the key to his '65 Dodge Coronet unlocked and started at least four cars: his parents' '64 Plymouth Belvedere and '67 Plymouth Fury; a co-worker's '66 Dodge Polara, and a '68 Valiant belonging to a customer at the grocery store that employed the future blogger. Ancient history, from the time before encryption, yes? Uh, no. KUTV 's consumer sleuth has uncovered the secret truth behind a spate of damage-free break-ins inflicted upon GM vehicles: "master" keys. "Bobbo's friend and co-worker, Clay Collett, owns a 1997 Chevy Blazer. And guess what? The key for Bobbo’s truck opens Clay’s SUV and vice versa Clay’s key opens Bobbo’s door… When we first called General Motors about all this, the spokesperson said there are only so many combinations possible…but he had not heard of any issue with GM keys in the past. Is that so? At Bob’s Lock & Key in west valley, they say they’ve known all about the GM door key situation for GM cars for more than 10 years… when technicians learn that the vehicle is a GM between ‘94 and ‘04, they start with the key from their own Chevrolet service vans. Bob’s say their own GM keys opens the locks of other GM vehicles more than half the time." KUTV's Gephart says Chevy's tackled the problem– leaving owners of vehicles made between 1994 - 2004 SOL. The only possible remedy: change the door locks. 
Fernando Alonso 
Now here’s a nice idea that we wouldn’t mind at all seeing materialized by the BMW Group; a MINI Sports Coupe. It won’t cost the Bavarian carmaker a fortune to develop and we firmly believe that there’s a market for an affordable compact coupe with character on both sides of the Atlantic. MINI could also build a lightweight John Cooper Works version with over 200 Hp. -Continued after the jump