Slumping sales have pushed Mitsubishi to schedule a production stoppage at their Normal, Illinois plant early next year for a period lasting more than 40 days. The facility, employing 1,568 workers, manufacturers both the Galant and Eclipse. When the assembly line lights go dark between February 16 and April 3, it will signify the longest halt of production since the facility began operation in 1988. The news obviously isn't good, but it thankfully doesn't carry any immediate word about layoffs. According to Mitsubishi, all employees will remain on payroll during the shutdown and be shifted to other non-production jobs, including maintenance and training.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Mitsubishi set to idle Illinois plant for seven weeks originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nearly 4,000 employees of the Mercedes-Benz assembly plant in Vance, Alabama, are being offered buyouts in advance of another expected round of production cuts at the facility in January. The Vance plant produces the M-Class sport utility, R-Class crossover and GL-Class full-sized sport utility for the Mercedes-Benz lineup. In July, Mercedes slowed production for the first time in more than a decade of U.S. production as rising gas prices in June drastically cut sales. Although the buyout packages are being offered to all employees, Mercedes spokespersons are quick to point out that these are not to be considered layoffs. In fact, the automaker will only hand out an undisclosed limited number of buyout packages as it makes changes to the plant to bring production back in line with demand.

Alabama has been hard hit this year by the global auto industry slump. The state's automotive industry is 134,000 workers strong, and the sobering news from Mercedes-Benz only adds to earlier production cuts from Honda and slowdowns from Hyundai, two other automakers with assembly plants in the Heart of Dixie.

[Source: AL.com]

Mercedes offers buyouts to all Alabama workers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click on the above image to see our Ford Expedition gallery

May was apparently a tough month for Ford's big SUVs. With consumer demand understandably cold for the gargantuan utes and their hard-to-swallow 12 mpg city ratings, Lincoln Navigator sales slid 37 percent while Ford Expedition sales were down 43 percent. As a result, Ford Motor Company has announced that its Wayne, Michigan, plant that assembles these vehicles will close down for nine weeks starting on Monday. While the plant sits idle, Ford will increase production of its passenger cars to better meet market demand for smaller and much more fuel efficient vehicles. Like we didn't see this coming...

Gallery: 2007 Ford Expedition EL

Gallery: 2008 Lincoln Navigator

No surprise here: Expedition, Navigator production stopped for nine weeks originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When the UAW went on strike against American Axle & Manufacturing in late February, analysts expected a settlement within days. The supplier of axles, driveshafts, and other related components to General Motors and other automakers had a stockpile of inventory on hand, and few expected the strike to affect production. However, as talks failed to bring workers back, the situation quickly went downhill. By early March, nearly GM 20 GM truck plants were threatening to idle or shut down. By late March, GM's car plants were feeling the effects. Earlier this month, it was GM who offered up to $200 million to help bring the strike to an end -- the automaker has suffered production stops or cut backs at 30 plants in North America as of last week.

Today, American Axle made an offer to the union to bring the 11-week strike to an end. It includes buyouts to workers who have been on the job for more than 10 years, retirement packages to senior workers, and payouts to ease salary adjustments as American Axle makes pay cuts to keep their U.S. operations competitive. The latest agreement will be voted on by union members in New York and Michigan tomorrow. Let's hope they come to terms, as the strike has already cost GM an estimated $800 million.

[Source: Bloomberg]

American Axle proposes cuts and buyouts to end 11-week strike originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 18 May 2008 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Darn, we're outta that! Ford of Australia halts work due to supply problem originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Apr 2007 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Workers at three Hyundai locations in South Korea have walked off the job over a lack of progress in wage negotiations. The stoppages, scheduled to last a total of 12 hours over three days, will cost Hyundai almost 2,700 vehicles and $38M, but it is not said to have "significant impact" on the company's share price or product output.

The Confederation of Trade Union employees are looking for a 9.1-percent raise and other unnamed incentives, while the automaker states that it cannot negotiate with the union while Chairman Chung Mong-koo remains in prison on bribery charges.

[Source: BBC]

Hyundai employees stage walk-out protest originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jun 2006 11:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.