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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.

FCA and Cummins named in diesel emissions class-action lawsuit

Chrysler is now the first United States-based carmaker to be sued for allegedly skewing emissions results. In a move that sounds eerily similar to the troubles of European manufacturers, Chrysler is claimed to have hid diesel engine characteristics causing emissions as much as 14 times higher than permitted by regulations. According to Bloomberg, the lawsuit alleges that Chrysler, together with its diesel engine partner Cummins, has concealed the nitrogen oxide output of certain Ram vehicles produced between 2007 and 2012. The NOx pollutants were meant to be broken down in a process called regeneration in the truck's NAC system, or NOx Absorption Catalyst, which predated the 2013-introduced SCR, or Selective Catalytic Reduction system. By design, the NAC captures and stores NOx emissions, converting them to nitrogen and oxygen through a catalytic process. The lawsuit claims the Cummins engine's system has a limited capacity to store the emissions, and as a result the pollutants escape, increasing emissions, worsening fuel consumption and wearing down the catalytic converter. The later, cleaner SCR system uses a urea-water injection, and it gradually replaced the NAC on Cummins 6.7-liter engines, as it was first implemented in 2011 and made standard in 2013. As Bloomberg notes, the model years of Ram trucks involved in the lawsuit predate the earliest Volkswagen "Dieselgate" models by two years. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 500,000 truck owners, accuses Chrysler and Cummins of fraud, false advertising and racketeering. As an underlying motive, the filing mentions a 2001 change in EPA emissions standards. Announced to become effective in 2010, the EPA requirements drove Chrysler and Cummins to try and reach those already by 2007. However, the NAC system is said to have fallen short of these goals, and the filing claims that Chrysler and Cummins chose to "rig" the engines instead. The affected vehicles predate the 2014 merger of Chrysler and Fiat. FCA US has released a statement regarding the lawsuit, saying it will contest the lawsuit "vigorously". News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Getty Editorial Government/Legal Green Chrysler Dodge RAM Emissions Diesel Vehicles FCA cummins diesel

Subaru Impreza WRX, Dodge Charger police car from 'Baby Driver' are for sale

Fans of " Baby Driver," now is your chance to own some seriously cool bits of movie memorabilia. Allpro Subaru is currently selling two of the cars from the film. The first is one of the red Subaru Impreza WRXs that were used for some of the film's signature stunts, which made the red rally sedan the de facto hero car of the movie. There were a number of stunt cars used to represent the hero car, including a modified WRX and an STI with a WRX wing. This particular one, a 2006 model, is a little more interesting, as it was the one that was converted to rear-drive to make it easier to complete stunts with it. According to the description, it also has a turbocharger from a 2004 STI to make more power, which fits what stunt driver Jeremy Fry told us. The description reveals other interesting tidbits. The car does have a clean title and has 158,000 miles on it. Obviously some of those miles were a bit rough, and the description notes that the stunt driving has led to some cosmetic defects. The AutoCheck vehicle history report reveals more. Apparently this Impreza WRX led a rough life before filming, as it had four mild to moderate crashes reported. It also appears that it will need the Takata airbag replaced. But on the plus side, this car is a unique piece of car and film history, and its rear-drive layout should make it interesting to drive. On top of that, it also has a leather interior that appears to be in good shape. View 5 Photos You'd better have a healthy bank account before trying to buy this WRX. As of writing, the bidding has reached $40,300. If that's too pricey, though, Allpro Subaru has yet another car from the movie. It's a 2011 Dodge Charger police car in Atlanta, Ga. police livery, complete with a V8. It's also pretty thoroughly wrecked, though the description says that it is drivable. Based on the bullet holes in the windshield, the Charger appears to be the one used in the (mild spoiler alert) final showdown between Baby and Buddy. But because this car is much less famous and in far worse shape, it's also much cheaper. Bidding has only reached $3,000 at the time of writing. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery 2006 Subaru Impreza used in Baby Driver News Source: eBay / Allpro Subaru via JalopnikImage Credit: eBay / Allpro Subaru TV/Movies Dodge Subaru Auctions Police/Emergency Performance Sedan impreza wrx baby driver