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GM, UAW poaching Nissan workers in Tennessee

General Motors and the United Auto Workers are going on a recruitment drive at the Spring Hill factory in Tennessee, and they're hoping to poach some skilled workers from Nissan's nearby plant in Smyrna, TN. The General and the union even bought a billboard advertising for industrial electricians near the Japanese automaker's facility, according to the Daily News Journal. The reason for the billboard was simple. "GM was short of electricians," said Tim Stannard, the president of the UAW local at Spring Hill, to the Daily News Journal. The factory currently builds the Chevrolet Equinox but has a contract to assemble the next generation of Ecotec engines and the Cadillac XT5, which replaces the SRX. Thanks to the $185-million deal, employment there is expected to double by May 2016, according to Stannard, with roughly 1,800 additional union jobs. Beyond just several billboards, GM has job postings online for the Spring Hill plant looking for workers with specific skills. There has already been some interest in the positions among Nissan employees, Stannard indicated. According to a recent study by the Center for Automotive Research, the average GM worker currently makes $58 an hour, including benefits. Comparatively, Nissan pays an average of $42 an hour with benefits. The General's number could change in the coming weeks because its contract with the UAW is about to expire, and higher wages are among the major negotiating points.

Carlos Ghosn in Twitter debut vows to 'tell the truth about what's happening'

TOKYO — Ousted Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn's sudden appearance on Twitter on Wednesday was a surprise move by the businessman that perplexed people and sent journalists scrambling, and not for the first time. The first tweet from the @carlosghosn account on the social network read, "I'm getting ready to tell the truth about what's happening. Press conference on Thursday, April 11." It did not specify a time or place. Featuring a photo of a smiling, grey-haired Ghosn standing in front of a tree with seasonal cherry blossoms, the account initially lacked the blue tick mark to show it had been verified by the social network. That left journalists unsure of its authenticity — particularly as the conditions of Ghosn's $9 million bail preclude him from using the internet. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Forty minutes later, when the blue tick appeared, the tweet swept across social media and the account's followers swelled to almost 20,000, from just a handful earlier. Some of the replies appeared sympathetic to Ghosn, with others carrying photos of his now-famous exit from a Tokyo detention center last month. "Stood right alongside you with #GiveGhosnBail. Looking forward to hearing your side," wrote one Twitter user with the name @highmileage. Ghosn had also caught media off guard when he disguised himself in a workman's uniform, cap and face mask to try and give waiting reporters the slip on leaving the detention center after his release on bail. The architect of the Nissan and Renault SA global alliance was then pursued by media as he rode away in a small work van, a Suzuki, topped with a ladder. Ghosn's dramatic fall from grace began with his arrest in November after getting off a private plane at Tokyo's Haneda Airport. He has since been charged with financial misconduct and aggravated breach of trust. On Wednesday, the Yomiuri newspaper said Tokyo prosecutors will soon decide whether to prosecute Ghosn on further charges. A further arrest could jeopardize the planned news conference. It remains unclear if Ghosn sent the tweet or it was sent on his behalf. His bail conditions allow him to access a computer at his lawyer's office but forbid him to use the internet. Government/Legal Mitsubishi Nissan Renault renault-nissan

Carlos Ghosn 'very comfortable' after questioning by Lebanese prosecutor

BEIRUT/TOKYO — Carlos Ghosn's lawyer said he was "very comfortable" with legal proceedings in Lebanon on Thursday, after the fugitive ex-Nissan boss was questioned over an extradition request from Japan where he faces criminal charges. Ghosn fled Japan to Lebanon, his childhood home, last month as he awaited trial on charges of under-reporting earnings, breach of trust and misappropriation of company funds, all of which he denies. His dramatic escape has raised tension between Tokyo and Beirut at a time when Lebanon is seeking an international bailout to help it tackle a deep financial crisis. Ghosn slammed the Japanese justice system at a two-hour news conference on Wednesday, prompting Japan's justice minister to launch a rare and forceful public response. After questioning in Beirut about Japan's Interpol wanted notice, two judicial sources said the prosecutor had imposed a travel ban, a step Carlos Abou Jaoude, a Beirut-based lawyer for Ghosn, described as procedural to broadcaster Al Jadeed. Lebanon has no extradition agreement with Japan. "He (Ghosn) is very comfortable with the path," Jaoude told another broadcaster, MTV, adding that Ghosn was also comfortable in himself "especially after what he went through."   Related: CES 2020 and Carlos Ghosn | Autoblog Podcast #609 Ghosn: Nissan-Renault strife and his arrest can be traced back to Macron The rise, fall and flight of Carlos Ghosn   One of the judicial sources said authorities had asked Japan for its file on Ghosn, including the charges against him, and would not question him again until the information is received. Ghosn would surrender his French passport on Thursday, he said. Ghosn said later he was more comfortable with the Lebanese judiciary than that of Japan. "I will fully cooperate," he told broadcaster LBCI. Japan's Justice Minister Masako Mori said Ghosn's allegations that he had had "zero chance" of a fair trial in Japan were unfounded. "Defendant Ghosn was looking to justify his unlawful exit from Japan by propagating a false recognition of our justice system," she said at the second of two news conferences, the first of which was held shortly after midnight. "I felt that we needed to respond immediately to broadcast a correct understanding to people around the world." Ghosn told LBCI her comments were "ridiculous." "Today my concern is clearing my name and reputation because all the accusations against me are fabricated," he told Al Jadeed. Trial in Lebanon?