Toyota's drastic overhaul to reportedly replace 40% of management originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 May 2009 16:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

REPORT: Largest American Axle plant to idle as work shifts to Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

"We deeply value the concrete effort of Marti and the MNA team... During a very challenging time, Maserati was one of the very few automotive players in North America to post a positive result in terms of sales in 2008, thus contributing to the second-consecutive record year achieved by the company worldwide.

Maserati's North American CEO steps down... after less than one year? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 22 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

REPORT: GM to shed 1,600 white-collar jobs by May 1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A profit-sharing program for our board members, executives and all employees is an important element of our compensation system. We apply this system in good times as well as in challenging times. I am convinced that our employees understand the difficulty of the current situation and are willing to accept this hardship.

REPORT: BMW warns employees of looming pay cuts originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 Mar 2009 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

GM, Ford job cuts closing in on 50% in U.S. - Chrysler not far behind originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

REPORT: Nissan projects $2.9B loss, announces 20,000 job cuts originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

GM/UAW concession talks commence originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Auto industry crisis leads to job losses even at strong companies

Auto industry crisis leads to job losses even at strong companies originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 12:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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.

It's hardly unexpected given recent gloomy sales numbers, but General Motors announced today that they will be cutting shifts at several North American plants. Unfortunately, nearly 2,000 workers will lose their jobs in the process as GM eliminates its third shift to slow production and ease the backlog of vehicles sitting on dealer lots. The affected plants are Orion, Michigan; Oshawa, Ontario; and Lordstown, Ohio (these plants manufacture the Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6, Chevrolet Impala, Chevrolet Cobalt, and Pontiac G5). The news comes on top of the previously announced idling of the Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas City mid-January. That plant makes the Saturn Aura and also the Chevrolet Malibu.

[Source: Reuters]

GM cuts shifts, output at three plants originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Dec 2008 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

GM cuts 1,100 staff at Lordstown plant to meet slowing demand originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 10:42:00 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.

A 15-percent drop in Sonata sales since the beginning of 2008 is one reason Hyundai will idle its Alabama plant for 11 days between now and the end of the year (the near-2-percent drop in Santa Fe sales didn't help either). According to Hyundai Motor Company officials, the current sales slump and future sales projections of both models warrant the assembly slowdown. To limit the financial impact on the plant's workers, Hyundai will schedule the days on Fridays, and around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. Hyundai also added, "We will continue to monitor the situation closely and hope that the economic conditions affecting our industry will soon normalize and allow us to return to a full production schedule as soon as possible." You and everybody else.

Gallery: Hyundai Santa Fe Limited (UK)

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Hyundai Sonata

Hyundai to slow production of Santa Fe, Sonata originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Corvette ZR1

It's been more than a decade since the "recession-proof" Chevrolet Corvette had to endure a production cut due to excess dealer inventory, but that's apparently the case once again. Citing slow sales related to the ongoing automotive recession, GM will turn off the Corvette's factory lights during the week of October 6th. When Vette assembly resumes the following week, production will be scaled back to 15 cars per hour (normal speed is 18.5 cars per hour). Unfortunately, GM says layoffs will accompany the new schedule at the Bowling Green facility, with up to 75 workers losing their jobs. While surprising, the news isn't entirely unexpected. Corvette sales were down 8.5 percent for the year through August of 2008. They only rebounded after GM included the model in its employee pricing sale... and we all know a shot in the arm like that won't hold out over time.

Gallery: 2009 Chevy Corvette Z06

Gallery: First Drive: 2009 Corvette ZR1

Chevy to temporarily halt Vette production due to economy originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After holding the title for just over six months, the President of Ford Australia has resigned and is moving to the United States to "fulfill a career dream." President Bill Osborne, who took the position only in February, insists his departure has nothing to do with the fact that the company just announced 350 jobs will be cut at Victorian plants. Mr. Osborne is mum on where he is heading, although a company spokesperson said it is outside the automotive industry. Ford has not announced a replacement, but the new boss will have his or her work cut out as the Australian market adjusts from its high-horsepower diet to more fuel efficient vehicles. Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

[Source: News.com.au]

Ford Australia boss calls it quits after job cuts originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Following a slew of labor problems including the American Axle strike that cost an estimated $2 billion, General Motors is restructuring to accommodate the declining U.S. auto market. Following the lead of Ford and Chrysler, the move will likely include further cost cutting and layoffs, as production of thirsty truck and sport-utility vehicles is wound down to make room for more fuel efficient vehicles. Information is sketchy at this stage, but plan on learning the details when the restructuring is officially announced at the company's annual meeting on June 3. With its stock closing Tuesday at its lowest level in more than two decades and thousands of jobs at stake, GM had better get this next move right.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

GM to follow Ford and restructure its restructuring originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 29 May 2008 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Perhaps 'fired' is the wrong word, as that does imply that these white collar workers did something wrong. The only thing some 12% of Ford's salaried workforce did wrong is get hired by a company that dug itself into a hole relying on strong truck and SUV sales during the 1990s. Now, with consumers avoiding gas-hungry vehicles, the restructuring effort faltering amidst high gas prices, and news that the company has abandoned its goal of returning to profitability in 2009... cutting more salaried workers was inevitable.

Ford CEO Alan Mulally told reporters last week that sales of big trucks and SUVs crashed once gas hit $3.50 per gallon. In April, full-sized pickups accounted for 11 percent of sales. By the second week of May, the number had fallen to just 9 percent. "I don't think we've ever seen a decline week over week like this," Mulally said. "It was clear to us it was time to act." And act they did. While details have not been finalized, Ford expects to eliminate up to 12 percent of its salaried work force (with about 24,300 white-collar workers in the States, this means more than 2,000 positions will be gone). Ford Vice President Jim Farley couldn't sugar-coat the news, but he did try to spread the doom around when he spoke to his employees on Friday, saying "I would expect other car companies to make similar announcements... they have the same issues that we do -- even Toyota."

[Source: The Detroit News]

Ford firing letting go up to 12% of salaried workers originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 May 2008 12:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

It was late 2005 when Nissan announced it was packing up operations in Southern California and moving to Tennessee. If you didn't choose to move east of the Mississippi, and many didn't, you were looking elsewhere for a new job. Some of the lucky few who dodged the axe worked for Nissan Design America, the North American design team split between sites in Farmington Hills, MI and San Diego, CA. Now, it seems those workers may have lost their immunity, too.

Citing streamlining in the automotive design process, Nissan execs are saying they just don't need the size staff they required in the past. Where it used to take four years to design a new model, now it just takes half as long and a smaller group of employees can readily manage the shorter design cycle. If there is a bright side to this news, it is that the layoff is quite small for the automobile industry--less than one dozen employees are expected to take the voluntary severance package.

Nissan cutting back North American design team originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Feb 2008 07:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Nissan offering voluntary buyouts to all Tennessee plant workers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.