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Former Chrysler dealers could reopen under appeals court ruling

Years after the bankruptcies and subsequent bailouts of Chrysler (now FCA) and General Motors, the automotive industry is still seeing legal decisions about them come through the courts. The latest ruling from a US appeals court has given 4 of the 789 dealers that Chrysler closed in its Chapter 11 process one less hurdle towards reopening. Following the bankruptcy, 105 of the shuttered dealers went through an arbitration process in hopes of reopening, and 32 won their arguments. However, a victory in that undertaking didn't necessarily mean that the stores could reestablish themselves. For these three showrooms in Michigan and one in Las Vegas, state laws allowed nearby competitors from the same automaker to stand in the way of restarting, according to Automotive News. This problem brought yet another lawsuit, and a US district court found that the arbitration decisions did not overrule state laws. The latest appeals court ruling overturned that decision. However, as with many legal proceedings, the process for reopening for these dealers still isn't exactly easy. The latest decision only covers the nearby dealers' ability to protest; it doesn't mandate FCA actually to open the stores again. According to a statement from Michael Palese of FCA legal communications to Automotive News, the ruling, "did not provide for reinstatement of the dealers who prevailed in arbitration, but only gave them a right to a 'customary and usual' letter of intent." It means for these showrooms to start selling again, now they need to work things out with Chrysler's new owner.

Proposed deal averts strike between FCA and UAW

With the deadline rapidly approaching for a strike, FCA US and the United Auto Workers were able to hammer out a potential agreement late last night to avoid picket lines, at least for now. While the UAW said in a statement that it "secured significant gains," the actual contents of the deal haven't been published yet. Before going public, the offer still needs the consent of the UAW National Chrysler Committee, and that body has a meeting on 11:00 AM Eastern on Friday, October 9, to make a decision. If the Chrysler committee signs off on the deal, it would then go to the union's 40,000 FCA US workers for a vote, according to The Detroit News. "We have made real gains and I look forward to a full discussion of the terms with our membership," President Dennis Williams said in the UAW's statement. FCA US isn't providing any answers about the proposed contract either. In a release about the negotiations, the automaker said: "FCA US confirms that it has reached a new tentative agreement with the UAW. Because the agreement is subject to UAW member ratification, the Company cannot discuss the specifics of the agreement pending a vote by UAW members." The original tentative contract with FCA US promised raises and the creation of a healthcare co-op. However, 65 percent of union members rejected the deal, The Detroit News reports. Workers didn't like that the offer kept a two-tier wage system between veterans and more recent employees. The details of the health plan also weren't explained well, and there wasn't much info on possible production changes. UAW-FCA NATIONAL BARGAINING COMMITTEE VOTES ON PROPOSED TENTATIVE AGREEMENT Featured / News / October 8, 2015 UAW National Chrysler Council Leaders to Convene for Vote on Friday, Oct. 9 — Terms to be announced following Friday vote Detroit, Mich. – After a lengthy bargaining process, the UAW FCA National Bargaining Committee has secured significant gains in a proposed Tentative Agreement with FCA US announced today. The bargaining committee unanimously voted to send the proposed Tentative Agreement to local union leaders who make up the union's UAW National Chrysler Council. The UAW Chrysler Council will meet in Detroit at 11 am on Friday to discuss and vote on the agreement. "We heard from our members, and went back to FCA to strengthen their contract," said UAW President Dennis Williams.

2017 Chrysler Pacifica will start at $29,590

Early reports suggested the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica would be more expensive than the outgoing model, but that's not entirely the case. The new minivan's base LX trim starts at $29,590 (after $995 destination) versus $30,990 for the 2016 Town & Country. The latest vehicle's prices are also in line with its competitors. All Pacificas have amenities like Active Noise Cancellation and the model's famous Stow 'n Go seats. For $31,490, customers can upgrade to the Touring trim to get SiriusXM satellite radio, power sliding doors, and automatic headlights. The Touring-L adds a little more luxury for $35,490 with features like rear parking assist, blind spot monitoring, and leather seats, which are heated for the front row. The Touring-L Plus at $38,80 includes even more useful items like a seven-inch driver display, 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system, heated steering wheel, heated second-row seats, and an upgraded stereo. The top of the Pacifica range is the Limited trim for $43,490, which piles on even more luxuries to haul the family around in style. The amenities include Nappa leather, ventilated front seats, an integrated vacuum, 3D navigation, HID headlights, LED foglights, panoramic sunroof, and hands-free doors and liftgate. It seems perfect for a road trip. Compared to the competition, the Pacifica has good fuel economy and similar pricing (all of which include destination). For example, the 2016 Honda Odyssey starts at $30,300 and can go up to $45,775 for the top Touring Elite model. The situation is similar with the Toyota Sienna, which ranges between $29,750 and $46,170 for the most expensive two-wheel drive version. The rapidly aging Nissan Quest starts out cheaper at $27,480 but tops out at $44,130. However, the Kia Sedona is significantly cheaper than the Pacifica, starting at $27,295 and going to $40,795 for the highest trim. The only potential downside to the Pacifica's pricing is FCA's discontinuation of the Dodge Grand Caravan. The model started at just $23,090 and topped out at $31,990, which gave the automaker a range of less expensive trims to lure price conscious customers. The company has lost that market advantage. We look forward to spending more time with the 2017 Pacifica when it arrives at dealers this spring. The Hybrid joins the lineup in the second half of the year.