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Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs

No N performance models for Genesis, but Hyundai might get a Tucson N

Although Hyundai still hasn't fully revealed its first N product, the i30 N that we will see with an Elantra badge, the company is apparently hard at work at various N-branded follow-ups. The head of the N performance division, Albert Biermann, spoke with Australia's Drive, and revealed some unexpected details about the future of the division. Among the surprises was the revelation that there are no plans for Genesis N models. This is a bit of a shock considering that just last year, Biermann told us that there was a five-year plan in place for N products, and that Genesis vehicles were part of that plan. Among the vehicles that are coming, Biermann said the division is developing a B-segment vehicle and an SUV. The B-segment car is likely the European i20 hatchback. Hyundai uses the i20 for World Rally Championship, so it would only make sense to capitalize on that association. As for the SUV, Drive believes it is the Tucson, since Biermann mentioned the little crossover quite a bit when speaking to the publication. The Tucson would also be the most logical candidate for an N variant, since it's currently the smallest crossover in the Hyundai line-up. As such, it should be the easiest to make sporty, since it's inherently lighter and more maneuverable than other crossovers in the lineup. Biermann also seemingly revealed that the next N-badged car after the i30 N hatchback will be a "fastback" version of the same car, which Drive describes as a coupe. We don't expect this to be a traditional compact coupe, though. Last year, AutoEvolution reported that Hyundai would release a coupe-like five-door version of the i30 in the vein of the Audi A7 and A5 Sportbacks. This also seems more likely than a traditional coupe since Hyundai ceded the segment to the Civic with the death of the previous Elantra coupe in 2015, and its Kia Forte Koup cousin this year. Related Video:

2014 Hyundai Veloster Re:Flex brings the bling

Despite launching in late 2011, Hyundai has managed to keep its funky Veloster hatchback relatively fresh in our minds, with the Turbo and R-Spec, several special edition models and even a cloth-roofed concept. Here at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show, we're seeing the next iteration of Veloster creativity, the limited-edition Re:Flex.
The Veloster Re:Flex isn't a hugely different car from the standard hatchback, and the theme of this car is chrome, chrome, chrome. Hyundai has added 18-inch chrome-finished wheels, chrome door handles and chrome hood accents (yep). There's also the usual Re:Flex badging on the actual hatch itself. Inside, the Re:Flex gets full leather seating, in either black or red, and the car can be purchased in a new Ice Pearl color, in addition to Century White, Vitamin C (orange), Ultra Black and Boston Red.
Hyundai is only offering the Re:Flex edition on the base Veloster, powered by a naturally aspirated 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine. All Re:Flex models are fitted with the company's six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (sorry, manual fans).