2007 Gmc Yukon Denali Sport Utility 4-door 6.2l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The UAW's 'record contract' hinges on pensions, battery plants

DETROIT - After nearly four weeks of disruptive strikes and hard bargaining, the United Auto Workers and the Detroit Three automakers have edged closer to a deal that could offer record-setting wage gains for nearly 150,000 U.S. workers. General Motors, Ford Motor and Chrysler parent Stellantis have all agreed to raise base wages by between 20% and 23% over a four-year deal, according to union and company statements. Ford and Stellantis have agreed to reinstate cost-of-living adjustments, or COLA. The companies have offered to boost pay for temporary workers and give them a faster path to full-time, full-wage status. All three have proposed slashing the time it takes a new hire to get to the top UAW pay rate. The progress in contract talks follows the first-ever simultaneous strike by the UAW against Detroit's Big Three automakers. The union began the strike on Sept. 15 in hopes of forcing a better deal from each major automaker. But coming close to a deal is not the same thing as reaching a deal. Big obstacles remain on at least two major UAW demands: restoring the retirement security provided by pre-2007 defined benefit pension plans, and covering present and future joint- venture electric vehicle battery plants under the union's master contracts with the automakers. On retirement, none of the automakers has agreed to restore pre-2007 defined-benefit pension plans for workers hired after 2007. Doing so could force the automakers to again burden their balance sheets with multibillion-dollar liabilities. GM and the former Chrysler unloaded most of those liabilities in their 2009 bankruptcies. The union and automakers have explored an approach to providing more income security by offering annuities as an investment option in their company-sponsored 401(k) savings plans, people familiar with the discussions said. Stellantis referred to an annuity option as part of a more generous 401(k) proposal on Sept. 22. Annuities or similar instruments could give UAW retirees assurance of fixed, predictable payouts less dependent on stock market ups and downs, experts said. Recent changes in federal law have removed obstacles to including annuities as a feature of corporate 401(k) plans, said Olivia Mitchell, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School and an expert on pensions and retirement. "Retirees want a way to be assured they won't run out of money," Mitchell said.

Texas sues GM, saying it tricked customers into sharing driving data sold to insurers

Texas filed a lawsuit Tuesday against GM over years of alleged abuse of customers' data and trust. New car owners were presented with a "confusing and highly misleading" process that was implied to be for their safety, but "was no more than a deceptively designed sales flow" that surrendered their data for GM to sell. The suit contends that at no point was selling driving data ever even suggested as a possibility, putting GM in violation of the state's consumer protection laws. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking a jury trial and at least $10,000 per offense (every GM car sold in the state since 2015) and a hefty add-on of $250,000 in cases where the victim was over 65. Texas seems to be flying high after a recent $1.4 billion settlement from Meta over other privacy concerns. This may well be a way to solve any pending budgetary issues in the Lone Star State.

GMC looks to space with the Hummer EV Omega Edition

The Hummer EV is nothing if not outlandish. Everything about it is over the top, from its size to its weight, but the folks at GMC felt it needed something more to stand out. Enter the 2024 GMC Hummer EV Omega Edition, an enormous matte blue vehicle with unique features and an exclusive price tag. The special edition builds on the 3X truck and SUV models with a unique Neptune Blue Matte paint color and black exterior trim pieces. It also brings an off-road package, exclusive 18-inch wheels, the MultiPro tailgate with a Kicker audio system, unique interior carpeting, and a transparent roof. In addition to the wheels and 35-inch mud-terrain tires, the off-road package brings underbody skid plates and additional off-road camera views. GMC said it took inspiration for the Hummer EV from the “endless expanse of space,” which is likely true since the vehicle is about as efficient as a Saturn V rocket. Interestingly, the automaker is using the Miami Grand Prix as the launchpad for the EV, offering 0-60 sprints to invited attendees at the event. The Hummer EV Omega Edition Pickup gets a 24-module battery and starts at $149,995, while the SUV gets a 20-module battery and a $139,995 starting price. The hard-to-get EV is exceedingly rare in its standard form, and the Omega Edition is only available to existing order holders, so itÂ’s unlikely any of us will see the unique blue 'ute anytime soon. Despite its ridiculousness, the Hummer EVÂ’s wait list extends into multiple years for some buyers. GMC took thousands of orders and only built 1,000 units in March, so you can see how wait times quickly pile up. That said, production nearly doubled between February and March, giving hope to impatient order-holders. ItÂ’s not possible to place an order at this time, so if you donÂ’t have a reservation already, it might be time to look at a different EV. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.