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☆ Chevy Blazer Troubles Add to GM’s EV Growing Pains
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-14 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Chevrolet Blazer’s turbulent rollout is the latest setback as GM seeks to establish itself as an EV player. Photo: jim lo scalzo/ShutterstockAs one of the nation’s first owners of General Motors ’ new electric Chevrolet Blazer, James Hattin was loving the SUV—before the problems began. On a trip from the mountains back to his home in Burbank, Calif., he and his wife heard weird clicking noises coming from the dashboard. A short time later, the cruise control went out. A few days after that, in his driveway, the car’s screens went blank and the car wouldn’t start.

Persons: jim lo, James Hattin Organizations: General Motors, Chevrolet Locations: Burbank , Calif

☆ GM Plans $10 Billion Stock Buyback in Bid to Assuage Investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

General Motors was the last of the Detroit automakers to reach a new tentative labor deal with the United Auto Workers. Photo: Rebecca Cook/ReutersGeneral Motors plans to sharply increase cash return to shareholders, as Chief Executive Mary Barra seeks to reassure investors about the health of GM’s core car-making business after setbacks in fledgling pursuits such as electric and driverless vehicles. The company also said Wednesday it will work to offset higher labor expenses from its new contract with the United Auto Workers and unionized employees in Canada. The contracts will add a total of $9.3 billion in costs over about four years, including $1.5 billion next year, higher than analysts had estimated.

Persons: Motors, Rebecca Cook, Mary Barra Organizations: Detroit automakers, United Auto Workers, Reuters General Motors Locations: Canada

☆ GM Plans $10 Billion Share Repurchase in Bid to Assuage Investors
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

GM will fund its stock buyback in part by freeing up capital previously earmarked for development of EVs and autonomous vehicles. Photo: john g mabanglo/EPA/ShutterstockGeneral Motors plans to sharply increase cash return to shareholders, as Chief Executive Mary Barra seeks to reassure investors about the health of GM’s core car-making business after setbacks in fledgling pursuits like electric and driverless vehicles. GM on Wednesday outlined plans for an accelerated $10 billion share repurchase for next year, its largest stock buyback in recent memory. The company will fund it in part by freeing up capital previously earmarked for development of EVs and autonomous vehicles, which have been the main pillars of Barra’s growth strategy.

Persons: Mary Barra Organizations: Shutterstock, Motors, GM

☆ GM’s Cruise Draws Plans to Resume a Downsized Robotaxi Service
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-22 | by ( Mike Colias | Meghan Bobrowsky | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A Cruise self-driving vehicle. Photo: Poppy Lynch for The Wall Street JournalGeneral Motors ’ Cruise driverless-car unit plans to eventually reintroduce its robotaxi service following safety mishaps, but will narrow the focus to one city and shelve plans for the Origin, a GM-built driverless taxi. Cruise’s new co-president, Mo Elshenawy, outlined in an employee email Wednesday the plan to scale back future operations to one market, a change from an earlier strategy to deploy service in more than a dozen cities, according to people familiar with the matter.

Persons: Poppy Lynch, Mo Elshenawy Organizations: The Wall Street, GM

☆ Ford Downsizes Plan for Michigan Battery Factory, Citing Slower EV Demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-21 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ford said it has resumed building a battery plant in Marshall, Mich., but is downsizing the scope of the project amid cooling EV demand. Photo: Nick Hagen for The Wall Street JournalFord Motor is moving forward on construction of a battery plant in Michigan but at a reduced size from original plans, citing a pullback in the outlook for future electric-vehicle demand. Ford in September paused work on the factory, in Marshall, Mich. At the time, the company said it was reassessing its ability to competitively operate the plant, which will make batteries using technology from China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co.

Persons: Ford, Nick Hagen Organizations: The Wall Street, Ford, Amperex Technology Locations: Marshall, Mich, Michigan

Shortly after midnight on Aug. 24, a driverless shuttle operated by General Motors ’ Cruise stopped in the middle of a street in downtown Austin, Texas. Then it veered off the road, jumped the curb and hit the side of a building, according to video footage and police reports. By the time officers showed up, Cruise employees had covered the vehicle with a tarp and were trying to dislodge it—a task complicated by the lack of driver’s seat or steering wheel.

Persons: General Motors ’ Cruise Organizations: General Motors, Cruise Locations: Austin , Texas

☆ UAW Workers at GM’s Largest Plant Back Labor Pact, Boosting Deal’s Chances
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Nora Eckert | Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

General Motors’ plant in Spring Hill, Tenn., was among those rejecting the tentative UAW contract in the days leading up to the vote in favor on Wednesday at GM’s biggest U.S. factory in Texas. Photo: seth herald/ReutersA majority of workers at General Motors’ largest U.S. factory voted in favor of a tentative contract with the United Auto Workers, bolstering the deal’s chances for approval as a tight vote enters its final hours. Workers at GM ’s factory in Arlington, Texas, which makes large SUVs including the Cadillac Escalade and Chevrolet Tahoe, voted yes by more than 60%, according to Wednesday results from the local union chapter.

Persons: seth Organizations: Motors, UAW, GM’s, U.S, Reuters, General Motors, United Auto Workers, Workers, GM ’, Cadillac, Chevrolet Tahoe Locations: Spring Hill, Tenn, Texas, Arlington , Texas

☆ Cruise Suspends Employee Share Program, Citing Need to Revalue Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-16 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

General Motors’ self-driving car unit Cruise has paused its U.S. operations after California regulators called its vehicles unsafe. WSJ reporter Ryan Felton explains what this decision means for the future of autonomous vehicles and rivals like Google’s self-driving unit Waymo. Photo: Elijah Nouvelage/ReutersGeneral Motors ’ Cruise is suspending an internal program that allows employees to cash out shares in the driverless-car company, citing the need to revalue the business after a pedestrian accident led it to halt robotaxi services last month. Cruise notified employees of the decision Thursday in an email from Chief Executive Kyle Vogt , which was viewed by The Wall Street Journal. The autonomous-driving startup, majority owned by GM, told employees that the regular quarterly offer to sell shares would be canceled as it re-evaluates the program.

Persons: Ryan Felton, Elijah Nouvelage, Kyle Vogt Organizations: Motors, Reuters General Motors, Wall Street, GM Locations: California

☆ Several GM Factories Reject UAW Deal, Putting Pact on Shaky Ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-15 | by ( Nora Eckert | Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

United Auto Workers members and supporters on a Michigan picket line in September. Photo: Emily Elconin/Bloomberg NewsA majority of United Auto Workers members at several General Motors factories voted against a proposed labor agreement, jeopardizing a tentative contract that both union leaders and GM have called historic. About 68% of workers at GM’s factory in Spring Hill, Tenn., voted down the tentative deal, the union posted on its website Tuesday. A majority of workers at a GM plant in Flint, Mich., and an engine plant in suburban Detroit rejected it.

Persons: Emily Elconin, jeopardizing Organizations: United Auto Workers, Bloomberg, General Motors, GM Locations: Michigan, GM’s, Spring Hill, Tenn, Flint, Mich, Detroit

☆ Three Young Activists Who Never Worked in an Auto Factory Helped Deliver Huge Win for the UAW
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Nora Eckert | Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

In hard-nosed negotiations, the United Auto Workers in recent weeks shocked Detroit automakers with public swipes at CEO pay, a renewed focus on the rank-and-file and a bold plan for sudden strikes. The aggressive strategy was driven by a band of young outsiders—who have never clocked in a day of work at an auto factory. The three 30-something labor activists were brought in by new UAW President Shawn Fain to remake the union into a more independent, media savvy and creative challenger to car companies.

Persons: —, Shawn Fain Organizations: United Auto Workers, Detroit

☆ Detroit Is Paying Up to End the UAW Strike. Now Carmakers Will Live With the Costs.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The United Auto Workers union said it reached a tentative deal with Stellantis on Saturday, six weeks after workers went on strike. Earlier this week, Ford also reached a tentative agreement with the UAW. Photos: Emily Elconin/Bloomberg NewsThe end of the United Auto Workers strikes against Ford Motor and Chrysler-parent Stellantis offered some relief in Detroit after a bruising six-week labor showdown. But the car companies aren’t in a celebratory mood. The details of the UAW’s tentative labor pacts with Ford and Stellantis, reached in recent days, show that the automakers’ labor-cost disadvantage to rivals such as Toyota and Tesla is about to get worse, just as many aspects of their growth plans get cloudier.

Persons: Stellantis, Ford, Emily Elconin Organizations: United Auto Workers, UAW, Bloomberg, Ford Motor, Chrysler, Ford, Toyota, Tesla Locations: Detroit

The United Auto Workers union said it reached a tentative deal with Stellantis on Saturday, six weeks after workers went on strike. Earlier in the week, Ford also reached a tentative agreement with the UAW. Photos: Emily Elconin/Bloomberg NewsThe decision by the United Auto Workers on Saturday to call a fresh strike at General Motors as talks appeared to be nearing a conclusion was the latest in a set of unexpected moves by the union, which has used misdirection and maximized publicity to keep companies off balance. The surprise walkout at a factory in Tennessee followed several days of intensifying contract negotiations between GM and union leaders, including meetings involving GM Chief Executive Mary Barra and UAW President Shawn Fain. The escalation of the strike came as the UAW confirmed that it reached a tentative agreement with Chrysler-parent Stellantis on a new labor contract.

Persons: Stellantis, Ford, Emily Elconin, Mary Barra, Shawn Fain Organizations: United Auto Workers, UAW, Bloomberg, General Motors, GM, Chrysler Locations: Tennessee

The United Auto Workers union said it reached a tentative deal with Stellantis on Saturday, six weeks after workers went on strike. Earlier in the week, Ford also reached a tentative agreement with the UAW. Photos: Emily Elconin/Bloomberg NewsThe United Auto Workers called a fresh strike at a General Motors factory in Tennessee, a surprise walkout after negotiators had been working nearly around the clock to finalize a new contract this weekend. Workers at GM’s factory in Spring Hill, Tenn., were ordered to go on strike Saturday evening, according to people with knowledge of the union’s plans. The strike came just as the UAW confirmed that it reached a tentative agreement with Chrysler parent Stellantis on a new labor contract.

Persons: Stellantis, Ford, Emily Elconin Organizations: United Auto Workers, UAW, Bloomberg, General Motors, Workers, Chrysler Locations: Tennessee, GM’s, Spring Hill, Tenn

☆ GM, UAW Move Closer to a Tentative Labor Contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

A UAW placard at a General Motors assembly plant in Arlington, Texas, this week. Photo: stringer/ReutersThe United Auto Workers union is close to completing a tentative agreement on a new contract with General Motors, two days after the union clinched a tentative deal with Ford Motor . The two sides negotiated throughout Thursday night and into Friday morning, and reconvened in the early afternoon in a push to secure a deal, people with knowledge of the talks said. GM presented an offer overnight that is similar to the tentative agreement that the union struck with Ford on Wednesday, the people said.

Organizations: UAW, General Motors, United Auto Workers, Ford Motor, GM, Ford Locations: Arlington , Texas

☆ The UAW-Ford Deal: What’s in the Contract, Who Won and What It Means for GM and Stellantis
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( Nora Eckert | Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The United Auto Workers union said it reached a new tentative deal with Ford that could bring an end to a six-week strike at one automaker while negotiations continue at General Motors and Chrysler-parent Stellantis. Photo: Michael Swensen/Getty ImagesThe United Auto Workers reached a new tentative labor deal with Ford Motor Wednesday night, calling workers off the picket lines at the automaker. Here’s what to know about the deal, what’s next for Ford and the union, and what the agreement means for the company as well as its rivals General Motors and Chrysler-parent Stellantis .

Persons: Michael Swensen, what’s Organizations: United Auto Workers, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Ford Motor

☆ GM Scales Back EV Plans as Buyers Hesitate
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

UAW union members have been striking over job security and pay as automakers push forward in developing EVs, which require fewer workers and cost more in raw materials. So what does that mean for the future of auto workers and the union? Illustration: George Downs/The Wall Street JournalGeneral Motors is abandoning a self-imposed target to build 400,000 electric vehicles by mid-2024, the latest sign that automakers are concerned about the viability of the market for battery-powered cars. The Detroit automaker walked back the goal while reporting a healthy third-quarter profit, despite the hit from the continuing United Auto Workers strike. The walkout, which began in mid-September, is now costing GM about $200 million a week in profit.

Persons: George Downs Organizations: Street, Motors, Detroit, United Auto Workers, GM

☆ GM Scraps EV Target, Posts Strong Third-Quarter Profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

UAW union members have been striking over job security and pay as automakers push forward in developing EV’s, which require fewer workers and cost more in raw materials. So what does that mean for the future of auto workers and the union? Illustration: George Downs/The Wall Street JournalGeneral Motors is abandoning a self-imposed target to build 400,000 electric vehicles by mid-2024, the latest sign that automakers are concerned about the viability of the market for battery-powered cars. The Detroit automaker walked back the goal while reporting a healthy third-quarter profit, despite the hit from the continuing United Auto Workers strike. The walkout, which began in mid-September, is now costing GM about $200 million a week in profit.

Persons: George Downs Organizations: Street, Motors, Detroit, United Auto Workers, GM

☆ UAW Calls Strike on One of GM’s Largest and Most-Profitable Factories
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

UAW union members have been striking over job security and pay as automakers push forward in developing EV’s, which require fewer workers and cost more in raw materials. So what does that mean for the future of auto workers and the union? Illustration: George Downs/The Wall Street JournalThe United Auto Workers expanded its strike against Detroit’s automakers with a walkout at one of General Motors ’ largest and most profitable factories, marking the second straight day of escalation by the union. About 5,000 unionized workers walked out of GM’s Arlington, Texas, assembly plant Tuesday morning, the union said. The plant makes several large sport-utility vehicles, including the Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, which are GM’s highest-profit-margin vehicles globally.

Persons: George Downs Organizations: Street, United Auto Workers, Detroit’s, General Motors, Chevrolet, Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Cadillac Locations: GM’s Arlington , Texas

☆ GM Reports $3.1 Billion Profit, Despite UAW Strike Hit
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-24 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

GM’s results beat analysts’ estimates. Photo: rebecca cook/ReutersGeneral Motors posted a strong third-quarter profit despite a hit from the United Auto Workers strike, which now is draining about $200 million a week from its bottom line. GM also scrapped a self-imposed target for the number of electric vehicles it will produce through the middle of next year due to slackening demand for the technology, a surprising move for a company that had been an early mover in the space.

Persons: rebecca, Reuters General Motors Organizations: Reuters General, United Auto Workers, GM

☆ GM Delays Opening of Electric-Truck Factory Amid Cooling EV Demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones

☆ UAW Talks Turn to Key Battleground: Jobs at Future Battery Plants
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Nora Eckert | Mike Colias | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/business/autos/uaw-talks-turn-to-key-battleground-jobs-at-future-battery-plants-ffba7186