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Scandal-rocked UAW extends Ford, FCA contracts, prepares to strike GM

DETROIT — Leaders of the United Auto Workers union have extended contracts with Ford and Fiat Chrysler indefinitely, but the pact with General Motors is still set to expire Saturday night. The move puts added pressure on bargainers for both sides as they approach the contract deadline and the union starts to make preparations for a strike. The contract extension was confirmed Friday by UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg, who declined further comment on the talks. The union has picked GM as the target company, meaning it is the focus of bargaining and would be the first company to face a walkout. GMÂ’s contract with the union is scheduled to expire at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. ItÂ’s possible that the four-year GM contract also could be extended or a deal could be reached, but itÂ’s more likely that 49,200 UAW members could walk out of GM plants as early as Sunday because union and company demands are so far apart. Picket line schedules already have been posted near the entrance to one local UAW office in Detroit. Art Wheaton, an auto industry expert at the Worker Institute at Cornell University, expects the GM contract to be extended for a time, but he says the gulf between both sides is wide. “GM is looking through the windshield ahead, and it looks like nothing but land mines,” he said of a possible recession, trade disputes and the expense of developing electric and autonomous vehicles. “I think thereÂ’s really going to be a big problem down the road in matching the expectations of the union and the willingness of General Motors to be able to give the membership what it wants.” Plant-level union leaders from all over the country will be in Detroit on Sunday to talk about the next steps, and after that, the union likely will make an announcement. But leaders are likely to face questions about an expanding federal corruption probe that snared a top official on Thursday. Vance Pearson, head of a regional office based near St. Louis, was charged with corruption in an alleged scheme to embezzle union money and spend cash on premium booze, golf clubs, cigars and swanky stays in California. ItÂ’s the same region that UAW President Gary Jones led before taking the unionÂ’s top office last year. Jones and other union executives met privately at a hotel at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on Friday. After the meeting broke up, JonesÂ’ driver and others physically blocked an AP reporter from trying to approach him to ask questions.

Ford abandons MyFord Touch, all hail Sync 3 infotainment [w/video]

MyFord Touch has been among the most widely disdained automotive infotainment systems on the market, practically since its introduction in 2010. Consumer Reports was among the most vocal critics, all but advocating its lynching by an angry mob armed with torches and pitchforks. Not surprisingly, then, after such a critical walloping, Ford has finally decided to say goodbye to the unloved tech, declaring the end of MyFord Touch branding in favor of Sync 3 for its upcoming, all-new system. Ford is promising everything you would expect from Sync 3, including faster response time, better voice-command integration, easier controls and a more useable interface. The screen layout includes fewer items to make them easier to discern, and the icons are made from large, high-contrast buttons. There's also a dedicated tab for apps at the bottom of the screen in addition to those for audio, climate, phone and navigation. Another useful feature is the fact that Sync 3 can download improvements over your home Wi-Fi for easier updates. In addition to the revamped interface, the software running behind the scenes is a big change too. Rather than MyFord Touch's Microsoft-sourced system, Sync 3 uses the Blackberry-owned QNX, according to Automotive News. Such a switch was rumored earlier this year. Drivers still have to live with MyFord Touch a little longer, though. According to Automotive News, Ford said that the change to Sync 3 will happen during the 2016 model year with complete integration into the lineup by the end of the 2016 calendar year. It will come standard on Titanium trim models and as a separate option will be priced in line with the current MyFord Touch. The Sync 3 brand will carry over to Lincoln, too, but with a different look. The gallery above shows a few more looks at the interface, and we invite you to scroll down to watch a video of Sync 3 in action and to read Ford's press release about it, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Ford tops GM in US vehicle sales in May, driven by fleets

DETROIT - Ford, bolstered by heavy sales to fleet customers, surpassed General Motors in US new vehicle sales in May, according to figures reported Thursday. Ford said May sales rose 2.2 percent from a year ago to 241,126 units. GM sales dropped 1.3 percent to 237,364. GM said it had been trimming sales of heavily discounted vehicles to car rental companies. Such fleet sales made up about 19 percent of its total sales in May. Ford's fleet sales rose 8.4 percent, representing more than 34 percent of total sales. The industry average is around 20 percent. Analysts had expected mixed results for the industry, with sales likely propped up by heavy discounts. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said May sales dipped 0.9 percent to 193,040. Toyota's US sales dropped 0.5 percent to 218,248. Nissan said US sales in May rose 3.0 percent, to 137,471. After demand fell in March and April, analysts estimated May sales at just over 1.5 million. The seasonally adjusted annual rate of sales in May was estimated at 16.8 million to 16.9 million vehicles, about the same as April. A year earlier, sales stood at 17.55 million vehicles. Early reports indicated that sales over the three-day Memorial Day weekend were helped by heavy discounts. "While demand for new vehicles is still relatively strong, it's a bit of smoke and mirrors," said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of industry analysis at Edmunds, the car shopping website. Manufacturers and dealers "really pushed the deals over the holiday weekend to prop up their May numbers," she said. "Incentives were up sharply, and it seems automakers are putting more cash on the hood to nudge car shoppers to buy versus lease." General Motors dealers were offering discounts of up to $12,000 on the full-size Chevrolet Silverado pickup, while some dealer discounts on Ford Motor Co's F-series pickups were more than $10,000 on 2017 models and more than $14,000 on leftover 2016 models. The 2017 model year started eight months ago. Reporting by Paul LienertRelated Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Earnings/Financials Chrysler Fiat Ford GM Nissan Toyota US