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Thread: Big blow to GM Tonawanda Engine plant

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    Big blow to GM Tonawanda Engine plant

    Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - General Motor's has done an about face, telling UAW officials and employees Thursday that they will not be putting a new $300 million engine line in at Tonawanda's Powertrain Division as once planned.

    GM's decision to not pursue the new V-8 engine for it's Cadillac brands, is a casualty of tougher new fuel efficiency standards signed into law by President Bush last month.

    "The CAFE (Coporate Average Fuel Economy) Standards that were just passed by Congress.. has put a crimp in a big engine like that," says UAW Asst. Regional Director Kevin Donovan.

    "(With) oil prices that keep rising... they really didn't think they could sell that product in the volume that they were anticipating," Donovan said.

    The engine line, first announced last January, was to have safeguarded 1,600 jobs at the plant. Last Spring the plant added a new line of GM diesel engines that add further stability to the plant, and could cushion the loss.

    "This will basically effect 150 jobs, but with the attrition programs that will be rolled out by GM in the next couple weeks... those 150 will not be effected at all," Donovan said.

    The plant will remain open, and talks about a replacement line have been held between plant officials and GM brass, Donovan said.

    In December, the U.S. government approved by a wide margin the first increase in automobile fuel economy in 32 years. The energy bill, boosting mileage by 40 per cent to 35 miles a gallon.

    The CAFE standards force each automaker to change their overall product mix. Expressed in mile per gallon numbers, it is the sales weighted average fuel economy of any manufacturer’s passenger cars or light trucks line.

    In a dramatic shift to spur increased demand for non-fossil fuels, the bill also requires a six-fold increase in ethanol use to 136 billion litres a year by 2022, a boon to farmers. And it requires new energy-efficiency standards for an array of appliances, lighting, and commercial and government buildings

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    The handwriting on the wall their too !
    I hear their's a total collaspe of the union at Tonwanda Power train plant
    and the same thing going on at the Woodlawn Ford Plant. Thats exactly
    why American Axle Closed.
    I think it was a trick from the begining. GM took high a volume production
    Line out of Tonawanda and moved the line to GM's Flint Michigan Engine plant so they could make room for the new 300 million V-8 Line. Anytime you take work out of a union plant and the union lets that happen. IT'S OVER !

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    GOOD WHILE IT LASTED or A DOLLAR AND A DREAM

    You Mean All That hullabaloo Wiith Spitter And Co, Was For Nothing?? Awwwwww Man!

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    V8 engines are pretty much dead on arrival....

    the future of all engine manufacturers are going to be flex fuel and diesel and hybrid.

    all of which except for hybrid (because Buffalo doesnt have a large electronics and computer base) are well situated for Buffalo.

    Buffalo is well situated for the manufacture of high mpg flex fuel diesel

    Buffalo is also well situated for the manufacture of flex fuel gas/ethanol/methanol

    Buffalo is even well situated for the small engines needd for hybrids

    Just because they are changing players in the game....doesnt mean that their going to pull the team. I understand the pessimism...but it may not necessarily be so.

    Ford Woodlawn Stamping plant....its a good plant...and a stong plant with a strong product and well situated to plants in Ontario, CA. There is reason for concern but whether a strong or weak union its still to early to write the story. A weaker union could be an incentive for compromises necessary to keep the plant open....companies tend to close the biggest pains in the ass.

    Stamping and Powertrain are very agreeable union management relations compared to other plants.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Timmy
    V8 engines are pretty much dead on arrival....

    the future of all engine manufacturers are going to be flex fuel and diesel and hybrid.

    all of which except for hybrid (because Buffalo doesnt have a large electronics and computer base) are well situated for Buffalo.

    Buffalo is well situated for the manufacture of high mpg flex fuel diesel

    Buffalo is also well situated for the manufacture of flex fuel gas/ethanol/methanol

    Buffalo is even well situated for the small engines needd for hybrids

    Just because they are changing players in the game....doesnt mean that their going to pull the team. I understand the pessimism...but it may not necessarily be so.

    Ford Woodlawn Stamping plant....its a good plant...and a stong plant with a strong product and well situated to plants in Ontario, CA. There is reason for concern but whether a strong or weak union its still to early to write the story. A weaker union could be an incentive for compromises necessary to keep the plant open....companies tend to close the biggest pains in the ass.

    Stamping and Powertrain are very agreeable union management relations compared to other plants.

    So was American Axle, Delphi, Quebecor, American Brass (lavullo)
    unions, AAM Buffalo Plant is already closed and the others will
    have the same fate within they next 2 years or sooner !

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