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Stellantis wants to trim 3,500 hourly U.S. jobs, UAW says

WASHINGTON — Chrysler-parent Stellantis NV wants to cut approximately 3,500 hourly U.S. jobs and is offering voluntary exit packages, according to a United Auto Workers union letter made public Tuesday. The automaker is looking to reduce its hourly workforce offering incentive packages that include $50,000 payments for workers hired before 2007, UAW Local 1264 said in a letter dated Monday posted on its Facebook page. Stellantis spokeswoman Jodi Tinson declined to comment. A person briefed on the matter said the figure might be lower than the figure cited in the UAW letter. In late February, Stellantis indefinitely halted operations at an assembly plant in Illinois, citing rising costs of electric vehicle production. The action impacted about 1,350 workers at the Belvidere, Illinois, plant that built the Jeep Cherokee SUV and resulted in indefinite layoffs. The automaker has warned it may not resume operations as it considers other options. The UAW letter said openings created by workers leaving would be filled by workers on indefinite layoff. Stellantis said in February that about 40,000 U.S. hourly workers were eligible for profit sharing. Last week, UAW President Shawn Fain said Stellantis' decision to idle the Illinois plant was "a flat-out violation" of the union's contract with the UAW and is unacceptable. The UAW will enter talks with the Detroit Three before labor contracts expire in mid-September. Earlier this month, General Motors said about 5,000 salaried workers accepted buyouts to leave the automaker. GM CEO Mary Barra said February job cuts of a few hundred jobs and the 5,000 buyouts "provided approximately $1 billion towards" a $2 billion cost cutting target. Ford Motor Co recently announced significant job cuts in Spain, Germany and other parts of Europe and in August said it would cut a total of 3,000 salaried and contract jobs, mostly in North America and India. Hirings/Firings/Layoffs UAW/Unions Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Stellantis

Chrysler investigating complaints of vehicles with faulty power modules

Chrysler owners are hopping mad after experiencing a series of electrical gremlins in some of the company's vehicles. Issues range from mere annoyances - windows rolling down and radios turning off of their own accord - to serious safety issues, with headlights that randomly shut off at night and cars that stall and refuse to start.
The issues are being blamed on the total integrated power module, which can cost up to $1,000 for customers to replace. This, of course, has led to a hefty batch of complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with 240 owners expressing their displeasure so far. Another site, CarComplaints.com, has registered over 300 complaints relating to the 2010 to 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango, alone, according to The New York Times.
Chrysler has acknowledged that it's investigating the complaints and is analyzing the faulty TIPMs, but that isn't quite enough for customers of the affected vehicles. The newspaper has snagged a few of the more harrowing tales with the electrically challenged Chrysler products, culled from the NHTSA complaints.

This Jeep Forward Control is incredibly clean, for sale

Jeep loves going all out on its Moab Easter Safari concept cars. This year was no exception; aside from an insane 707-horsepower Wrangler, the plucky little FC-150 was the star of the show. Of course, it was artfully restored and given plenty of love before the annual, off-road adventure. Sadly, you can't buy a brand new FC-150 from Jeep anymore, or even any sort of pickup truck for that matter. No, the last time you were able to buy an FC-150 was way back when in 1965. Thankfully, at least one dealer recognized the heritage of this stunning little machine, and has listed a pristine example for sale on eBay for sale on eBay. This one was built in 1958, and only 11,595 miles read on the odometer. That's insanely low for a car this old and this rare. The President Red and Plantation white exterior looks straight from the factory, as do the wheels and tires. Though, you have to imagine that most everything on this car has been restored considerably given the lifespan, even without the dealer outright saying it. Four-wheel drive and a four-speed manual gearbox come standard; there's even a spare tire in case things go wrong on the trail. The cherry on top being the stunningly clean, no-nonsense interior. It's about as factory fresh one might get in a 60-year old Jeep. With a current bid of $14,600 (per this writing), it's not even that expensive. If you're looking to snag a handsome piece of Jeep history, look no further than this. But hurry, there are only a few hours left to bid. Related Video: This article originally appeared on Boldride.com. Jeep Auctions Truck SUV Off-Road Vehicles Classics eBay