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Here's what the UAW will be angling for in next year's contract negotiations

The United Auto Workers union is about to enter a new round of negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers, and this time, the focus is on the end of the two-tier wage system. Introduced in 2007, the two-tier wage system was enacted to allow General Motors, Ford and Chrysler to categorize its hourly employees under two categories: Tier 1 for veteran employees with full rights and benefits, and Tier 2 for short-term or entry-level employees compensated under a different schedule. The idea was that the system would permit the automakers to invest more in their plants and hire new employees as part of their respective recovery plans without being saddled with all the costs associated with hiring full-time employees. Now that the automakers are (more or less) back on their proverbial feet, however, the UAW wants to see an end to the two-tier system, and will likely make that a center-point of its negotiations next year to replace the current arrangement that is scheduled to end in September 2015. Not all members of the UAW will necessarily be interested in ending the two-tier system, however. According to The Detroit News, some Tier 1 workers may be more interested in negotiating a raise in their hourly rate – something which they haven't received in almost a decade. Tier 2 workers, meanwhile, may be more motivated to keep the tiered system in place, as their arrangement includes provisions for profit-sharing payments that have seen the automakers pay out billions to so-called short-term employees in lump-sum payments. Reconciling the two competing demands from two categories of union members and presenting a united front in negotiations may prove the biggest challenge for the UAW's new president, Dennis Williams. And with the right to strike – something which was suspended during the last round of negotiations in 2011 – the union has a bigger bargaining chip in its pocket.

2022 GMC Hummer EV No. 001 at Barrett-Jackson brings $2.5 million

This year's Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Ariz., played host to a bunch of the first examples of hot new cars: VIN No. 001 of the 2022 GMC Hummer EV, 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing, 2021 Ford Bronco, 2021 Ford Mustang Mach 1 and 2021 Ram 1500 TRX. Every single one of them sold for more than six figures, with all the proceeds of nearly $5 million going to charities, but the big winner was absolutely the Hummer with a hammer price of $2.5 million. The Bronco did nicely, too, with a selling price of $1,075,000. You can see the list of the sale prices from highest to lowest of these first examples below. GMC Hummer EV: $2,500,000 Ford Bronco: $1,075,000 Ford Mustang Mach 1: $500,000 Ram 1500 TRX Launch Edition: $410,000 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing: $265,000 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing: $165,000 Despite the Hummer going for $2.5 million, it wasn't the most expensive car to cross the block. That honor goes to a 1966 Shelby Cobra 427 Super Snake that was once owned by Carroll Shelby himself. It sold for $5.5 million, the same price it sold for back in 2007. Nearly as pricey as the Hummer was a restored, numbers-matching 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4 that went for $2,475,000. Related video:

Recharge Wrap-up: California breaks ground on high-speed rail, Ford launches global mobility experiments

California has celebrated the groundbreaking of the country's first high-speed rail system. The ceremony took place in Fresno, in the San Joaquin Valley, situated along the line's initial route through California's Central Valley. The train will travel at speeds of up to 220 miles per hour, delivering passengers from San Francisco to LA in less than three hours when finished by 2029. California eventually plans to extend high-speed rail service north to Sacramento and south to San Diego, with a total of 24 stations. The project is expected to cost a total of $68 billion, but could potentially ease road and air traffic, as well as the pollution that comes with it. See the groundbreaking ceremony in the video below, and read more at Engadget or the California High-Speed Rail Authority website. Elon Musk (barely) commented on the Tesla Model 3 during his Reddit AMA. A commenter asked for any new information on the upcoming electric sedan, to which Musk merely replied, "It won't look like other cars." Unfortunately for Tesla fans, the lone comment was the only reference to the electric automaker Musk leads as CEO. The event was full of some really cool space talk, though. Musk also noted he gets an average of six hours of sleep per night, and that showering is the daily habit that impacts his life the most positively. Read the entire AMA at Reddit. Ford outlined its Smart Mobility Plan at the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It includes 25 global mobility experiments designed to provide insights into the future of transportation needs around the world. "We see a world where vehicles talk to one another, drivers and vehicles communicate with the city infrastructure to relieve congestion, and people routinely share vehicles or multiple forms of transportation for their daily commute," says Ford President and CEO Mark Fields. The mobility experiments include carsharing programs in Michigan, London, Germany and India, a fast-charging infrastructure experiment, a shuttle service in New York and London and even a cycling focused data program in Palo Alto. Read more at Ford's website. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "Our priority is not in making marketing claims or being in a race for the first autonomous car on the road," Fields said. "Our priority is in making the first Ford autonomous vehicle accessible to the masses and truly enhancing customers' lives.