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UAW rejects GM contract proposal but makes a counter offer

The United Auto Workers union said a new comprehensive offer made by General Motors Co late Monday to end a two-week-old strike was not acceptable and said it had made a new counterproposal. UAW vice president Terry Dittes said in a letter to members "there are many important issues that remain unresolved." The union is awaiting GM's next proposal. He said GM's offer came up short on many issues.  Dittes said GM made a "comprehensive proposal" at 9:40 p.m. Monday. "This proposal that the company provided to us on day 15 of the strike did not satisfy your contract demands or needs. There were many areas that came up short like health care, wages, temporary employees, skilled trades and job security to name a few." Dittes is the union's vice president for GM relations and the UAW's lead negotiator in these contract talks. "We have responded today with a counterproposal and are awaiting GM's next proposal to the union," he wrote. "Regardless of what is publicized in print or social media, etc., there are still many important issues that remain unresolved." The strike, in its third week, has cost GM more than $1 billion, according to J.P. Morgan analyst Ryan Brickman. He said the cost per day in potential profit is $82 million. However, another analysis, by East Lansing-based consultant Anderson Economic Group, put the losses at $25 million a day. And the effects of the strike are expanding. GM said Tuesday the strike has created a parts shortage that forced the automaker to halt production at its pickup and transmission plants in Silao, Mexico, temporarily laying off 6,000 workers. Silao is where GM builds its highly profitable four-door crew cab Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. The strike has also forced GM to idle some Canadian workers, and many suppliers have been forced to halt operations. About 48,000 UAW members went on strike on Sept. 16 seeking higher pay, greater job security, a bigger share of the leading U.S. automaker’s profit and protection of their healthcare. 

GM already raising prices on 2014 Silverado and Sierra pickups

General Motors must be pretty pleased with sales of its two newest pickups, the GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado, as it's announced price hikes for both models, as part of a planned price tweak.
Prices will be bumped by as much as $1,500, although weirdly, they'll be offset by as much as $1,500 in cash-back offers through the end of October. Fox Business reports that GM spokesman Jim Cain said of the price hike, "With the sell down of the '13 models nearly complete, this price adjustment was planned and is a normal part of business."
The move, as Fox is quick to point out, is an interesting one, as sales of the twin pickups struggled last month relative to the Ford F-Series, while both of GM's crosstown competitors have been aggressively undercutting Silverado and Sierra prices. The F-150 starts at $24,070 and the Ram 1500 comes in at $23,600, not counting any cash on the hood. A base Silverado, meanwhile, retails at $25,575.

Watch this GMC Sierra pickup slide down a boat launch into a lake

Turns out, the GMC Sierra doesn’t float. In case you were wondering about experimenting, some folks in Illinois already have that covered. You can see the video from WICS ABC NewsChannel 20 above. The only reason this mishap was caught on video is because the news station was running a short standup segment at the boat launch. The truck slowly slips out of view, and eventually, the reporter turns around to see that the real story is taking place behind him. The white pickup and owners were in the process of launching a boat into Lake Springfield when the truck began to slowly make its way too far back with nobody around to save it. Local news and the police reported that nobody was inside the pickup when it submerged itself into the lake. Plus, there were no injuries to speak of. It appears that this is just a good ol' fashioned case of improper boat launching. One minute, thereÂ’s a shiny, new Sierra pickup. Just 30-40 seconds later, and the truck is fully underwater. The camera operator trains in on the folks attempting to launch the boat (that did successfully make it into the water), and predictably, they donÂ’t look pleased. Be safe out there, folks. And if youÂ’re going to drive your vehicle into the water, make sure itÂ’s an Amphicar. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.