Automobiles picture

Automobiles, Car Pictures, Car review, Car component, car and girl

On Tuesday, GM idled two car assembly lines employing about 5,600 people at its plant in Oshawa, Ont.. On Monday, it idled a transmission plant in Windsor, Ont., that employs 1,300. Workers at both plants are represented by the Canadian Auto Workers union. Parts shortages forced GM to cancel one shift Tuesday at a Moraine, Ohio, assembly plant that makes sport utility vehicles. The plant's 2,300 workers are represented by the International Union of Electronic Workers-Communication Workers. Delphi Corp., GM's largest supplier, said Tuesday it was temporarily laying off workers. Spokesman Lindsey Williams wouldn't give numbers because the situation was in flux. Delphi has about 25 U.S. plants that supply parts for GM. The person briefed on the talks said that because GM's pension fund has more money than its expected obligations, both sides agreed to tap into it to fund the trust. Retirees would get a pension increase, but it would be offset by an equal increase in health care contributions, the person said. Wages would stay the same for the length of the four-year deal, but workers would be given a bonus or lump sum payments every year, the person said. The size of the payments was not immediately available.