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Foreign automakers pay from $38 to $65 per hour to non-union workers

As leaders for the United Auto Workers gather in Detroit for their Special Convention on Collective Bargaining to work out the negotiating stance for this year's new labor agreements with the Detroit 3 automakers, what they most want to do is figure out how to eliminate the two-tier wage scale. However, the lower Tier 2 wage has allowed the domestic automakers to reduce their labor costs, hire more workers, and compete better with their import competition. As it stands, per-hour labor rates including benefits are $58 at General Motors, $57 at Ford, and $48 at Fiat-Chrysler – a reflection of FCA's much greater number of Tier 2 workers. The Center for Automotive Research released a study of labor rates (including benefits) that put numbers to what the imports pay: Mercedes-Benz pays the most, at an average of $65 per hour, Volkswagen pays the least, at $38 per hour, and BMW is just a hair above that at $39 per hour. Among the Detroit competitors, Honda workers earn an average of $49 per hour, at Toyota it's $48 per hour, Nissan is $42 per hour, and Hyundai-Kia pays $41 per hour. The lower import wages are aided by their greater use of temporary workers compared to the domestics. Automotive News says the ten-dollar gap between those foreign camakers and the domestics turns out to about an extra $250 per car in labor, which adds up quickly when you're pumping out many millions of cars. That $250-per-car number is one that, come negotiating time, the Detroit 3 will want to reduce, as the UAW is trying to raise both Tier 1 and Tier 2 wages. Another wrinkle is that the domestic carmakers are considering the wide adoption of a third wage level lower than Tier 2. Some workers who do minor tasks like assembling parts trays kits and battery packs already make less than Tier 2, but the UAW will be quite wary about cementing yet another wage scale at the bottom of the system while it's trying to fight a bigger battle at the top. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req., BloombergImage Credit: AP Photo/Erik Schelzig Earnings/Financials UAW/Unions BMW Chevrolet Fiat Ford GM Honda Hyundai Kia Mercedes-Benz Nissan Toyota Volkswagen labor wages collective bargaining labor costs

Hyundai recalls 10k Genesis Coupes for detached driveshafts

Hyundai has issued a recall for 10,800 examples of the Genesis Coupe. The problem with vehicles affected rests with the differential, which may have been misaligned with the crossmember of the rear suspension. In such a case, the bolts securing the differential may loosen, and could lead to the driveshaft disconnecting entirely, resulting in the complete loss of propulsion. The recall specifically affects certain models manufactured between December 28, 2011, and April 6, 2015. The problem is only with those units fitted with the six-speed manual transmission and not the eight-speed automatic. To address the problem, owners will be asked to bring their Genesis Coupes in to their local dealer to "verify the proper assembly of the differential." The Genesis Coupe was first introduced in its home market back in 2008, and arrived in North America the following year as a 2010 model. The most recent revision happened in 2013 – the model year with which this recall begins. A completely new model is expected to arrive soon as part of the new Genesis luxury sub-brand's lineup. Related Video: RECALL Subject : Rear Suspension Bolts may be Loose Report Receipt Date: NOV 16, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V756000 Component(s): POWER TRAIN , SUSPENSION Potential Number of Units Affected: 10,800 Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America SUMMARY: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2013-2015 Genesis Coupe vehicles manufactured December 28, 2011, to April 6, 2015, equipped with manual transmissions. In the affected vehicles, if the differential and the suspension rear crossmember were not properly aligned during vehicle assembly, the bolts that secure the differential may loosen. CONSEQUENCE: If the rear differential loosens from its mounting position, the driveshaft may disconnect from the differential, resulting in a loss of propulsion and an increased risk of a crash. REMEDY: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will verify the proper assembly of the differential, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on January 11, 2016. Owners may contact Hyundai's customer service at 1-855-671-3059. Hyundai's number for this recall is 135. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Driving the Aston Martin DBX, Audi SQ5 and Hyundai Palisade | Autoblog Podcast #670

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder and Contributing Editor Joe Lorio. First, they talk about driving the Aston Martin DBX, Audi SQ5 and Autoblog's new long-term Hyundai Palisade. They discuss the news, including the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, the BMW i4 and iX, and the Kia EV6. Last, but not least, they dig into the mailbag to help a listener choose a replacement for a long-serving Honda Pilot. Autoblog Podcast #670 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars We're Driving 2021 Aston Martin DBX 2021 Audi SQ5 Long-term 2021 Hyundai Palisade News 2022 Jeep Wagoneer is here: gigantic, luxurious and packing big V8 power BMW EV news BMW Group announces an armada of EVs that includes the full Mini range BMW i4 revealed as the 3 Series' EV sidekick BMW iX xDrive50 isn't just greener on the road, but from the get-go Kia EV6 electric car revealed with curvy sheetmetal Spend My Money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related Video: Aston Martin DBX in Stirling Green | On road, off-road and on the track