GM's "Found" Malibu Parts Mystery Solved: Scabs. Or…

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Buried in a Detroit News story about further disruption at GM– courtesy of the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike at American Axle (AA)– we learn GM has "found" enough parts to restart production in Oshawa, Ontario and Fort Wayne, Ind. (Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups). This after GM announced that they'd "found" enough Malibu parts to hold-off a shutdown for an "extra week." Turns out the fortuitous happenstance comes courtesy of American Axle's Mexican ops. "[GM Spokesman Dan] Flores wouldn't specify where the parts are coming from, though several analysts have said GM is likely using parts from an American Axle plant in Mexico. The move is evidence American Axle's ability to get parts from Mexico gives it leverage in the dispute with the UAW, said labor expert Harley Shaiken of the University of California Berkley [sic]." So… why aren't the United Auto Workers bosses screaming bloody murder and threatening to strike GM in support of their members at AA? Maybe it's because The Star-Telegram reports "GM leaders have decided to divert the Arlington plant's supply of truck axles to other plants in order to augment production of pickups affected by the ongoing UAW strike against American Axle." We report, we're confused.

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • BerettaGTZ BerettaGTZ on Apr 07, 2008

    Excellent! About time somebody showed some real backbone in this mess.

  • Mikey Mikey on Apr 07, 2008

    Menno: Thank you for visiting our country Unless you cause a ruckus at the airport you won't get tazered. As far as cars go,the big three build top notch vehicles here in the north,as do our brothers and sisters in the USA. News flash here,I know lots of folks at the Toyota and Honda plants,they tell me the the same stories I hear in my own plant.I guess I'll never know for sure cause I'll never own one.

  • Oboylepr Oboylepr on Apr 07, 2008

    GW, After many years working in the industry in both GM and several suppliers, I have never come across the scenario you describe, ever. The closest thing was a few chairs being thrown around in the old local 222 union hall over the contentious issue of apprentice seniority within the skilled trades. Now you will always have one or two idiots making a fool of themselves while on picket duty (it's usually Molson Muscle!) but for the most part common sense and dignity reign. I did witness a wildcat once in the truck plant but it was over a safety issue involving iso-cynates that the company were very slow to address. Can't speak for Ford or Chrysler. Maybe the folks in Oshawa are just a higher class of people. ;-) ;-) !

  • Menno Menno on Apr 07, 2008

    Hi Mikey, We're actually going to drive the Prius all the way through Michigan, to the Soo, make a left and drive for 3 more days to Banff. Since 9/11, I loathe flying from or into the US, and loathe being treated like cattle. Or chattel. Or worse. When I do fly on business, it's rare and I am certainly not a happy camper. When I fly to the UK to visit in-laws, it's with trepadation and loathing. I'm no advertisement for the success and transparency of the "security" measures nor the airlines. I consider both a dismal pain in the you-know-what. The other advantage of driving in Canada is that as far as I know, the fuel is not contaminated with ethanol, as fuel is in Minnesota and Montana (as well as Washington, Oregon, Missouri and Louisiana - not states near where we are going - as well as most large cities in the states due to "reformulated gasoline" rules). Ethanol sucks. Literally. The Prius gets greedy on it (as has every car I've ever tried it in since 1984) to the tune of sucking up 15 to 25% more fuel when said fuel contains 10% ethanol. I'd rather simply pay extra money for pure Canadian gasoline rather than drive through Minnesota and Montana and watch the MPG plummet. Especially given that food prices are rising so much world-wide, partly due to this ethanol foolishness. It's not just new cars which are affected by ethanol. I hear Hagerty Insurance (collector car insurer) is doing a study with a University on the effects of ethanol, on old cars. Results should be out this summer. http://www.hagerty.com/ethanol/

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