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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.

Classic Design Concepts has another riff on the widebody Challenger

Dodge is secretly working on a widebody Hellcat-powered Challenger dubbed the ADR. But for those that can't wait a few years, there's this – Classic Design Concepts' Group 2 Widebody Challenger that was unveiled at SEMA. The original Group 2 Widebody Challenger from CDC made its debut at SEMA back in 2008, but was given a new look for this year's trade show. The car, which you can scrutinize in the gallery above, features a bright red paint job with a blacked-out American flag on the left rear fender and "Hemi" in yellow on the right side. The wheels are also color-coated to match the rear billboard fenders, with the right side being finished in yellow and the left side a dark gray. CDC's body kit is wide, slammed to the ground, and menacing. And if you happen to forget that this is a widebody Challenger, because the extra six inches of width are hard to miss, there's a clear reminder on the back of the car. Related Video: Featured Gallery Classic Design Concepts Group 2 Widebody Challenger: SEMA 2016 View 11 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Aftermarket Design/Style SEMA Show Dodge Coupe Special and Limited Editions Performance SEMA 2016 cdc widebody

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Dodge Colt Vista

The partnership between Chrysler and Mitsubishi started way back in 1971 and led to plenty of Mitsubishis being sold in the United States as Chryslers, Dodges, Plymouths, and Eagles (plus the use of Mitsubishi engines in all manner of Chrysler-built vehicles). The Colt name – used on a series of Galant-, Lancer-, and Mirage-based cars – became a fairly successful brand for Chrysler, and so it was slapped on Dodge- and Plymouth-badged Mitsubishi Chariots. The Colt Vista wasn't a huge sales success, and you won't see many today, but they had a certain following. Here's a rare '90 that I spotted in a Minneapolis self-service wrecking yard over the summer. Just 114k miles on this one, but the rust got pretty bad and that's the most likely culprit for its junkyardization. These cars made good family haulers, although you wouldn't find many of their 2016 counterparts sporting three pedals. Turbo Tom kept it going for quite a while, but rust never sleeps in Minnesota. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. In Japan, the Chariot was sponsored by the terrifyingly disembodied head of Mickey Mouse. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Seats seven actors! Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Dodge Colt Vista View 17 Photos Auto News Dodge Automotive History Hatchback Minivan/Van dodge colt