Negotiators with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and Chrysler LLC remained at the bargaining table as efforts to reach a tentative contract agreement intensified, a source briefed on the talks said.
The person, who requested anonymity because the talks are private, said they are expected to run through the weekend.
UAW reached a tentative agreement with General Motors Corp on Sept. 26, but the agreement must be ratified by a majority of GM's UAW members to take effect. Members began voting last week and are expected to wrap up votes by Wednesday.
UAW did not announce which automaker it would negotiate with next, but the person briefed on the talks said the UAW selected Chrysler as its next bargaining target and would turn to Ford last.
Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans and UAW spokesman Roger Kerson did not return calls seeking comment on Saturday.
Chrysler spokeswoman Michele Tinson confirmed that the parties were negotiating Saturday but would not comment further.
UAW typically reaches an agreement with one automaker and then tries to get the others to match the terms.
But it was unclear whether Chrysler and Ford will match GM's agreement.
Chrysler is seeking healthcare concessions that UAW already granted to Ford and GM, for example.
Chrysler and Ford also may balk at making specific product commitments at US plants, as GM did.
Another sticking point in the talks is a UAW-managed retiree healthcare trust that GM's agreement would establish.
Under the agreement, GM would put nearly US$30 billion into the trust and pay US$5.4 billion to cover retirees' healthcare until the trust starts paying out benefits in 2010.
GM has a total of US$51 billion in unfunded retiree health costs, but it wasn't required to put that full amount into the trust. Chrysler has approximately US$19 billion in unfunded retiree health costs.
Another source briefed on the talks said on Friday that Chrysler wants to tailor the health care plan to better suit its needs and might not want to contribute as much as GM.
The trust benefits GM more than Chrysler or Ford because GM has the most retirees and surviving spouses. GM also has an older work force with more employees on the verge of retirement.
That person also requested anonymity because the talks are private.
UAW's contracts with Chrysler, Ford and GM were originally set to expire on Sept. 14.
UAW selected GM as the lead company and strike target in the negotiations and reached the tentative agreement after a two-day strike. Chrysler and Ford have been extending their contracts indefinitely.
FIVE-YEAR WINDOW? A defense institute CEO said a timeline for a potential Chinese invasion was based on expected ‘tough measures’ when Xi Jinping seeks a new term Most Taiwanese are willing to defend the nation against a Chinese attack, but the majority believe Beijing is unlikely to invade within the next five years, a poll showed yesterday. The poll carried out last month was commissioned by the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, a Taipei-based think tank, and released ahead of Double Ten National Day today, when President William Lai (賴清德) is to deliver a speech. China maintains a near-daily military presence around Taiwan and has held three rounds of war games in the past two years. CIA Director William Burns last year said that Chinese President Xi Jinping
President William Lai (賴清德) yesterday said that China has “no right to represent Taiwan,” but stressed that the nation was willing to work with Beijing on issues of mutual interest. “The Republic of China has already put down roots in Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu,” Lai said in his first Double Ten National Day address outside the Presidential Office Building in Taipei. “And the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China [PRC] are not subordinate to each other.” “The People’s Republic of China has no right to represent Taiwan,” he said at the event marking the 113th National Day of
SPEECH IMPEDIMENT? The state department said that using routine celebrations or public remarks as a pretext for provocation would undermine peace and stability Beijing’s expected use of President William Lai’s (賴清德) Double Ten National Day speech today as a pretext for provocative measures would undermine peace and stability, the US Department of State said on Tuesday. Taiwanese officials have said that China is likely to launch military drills near Taiwan in response to Lai’s speech as a pretext to pressure the nation to accept its sovereignty claims. A state department spokesperson said it could not speculate on what China would or would not do. “However, it is worth emphasizing that using routine annual celebrations or public remarks as a pretext or excuse for provocative or coercive
CONCERNS: Allowing the government, political parties or the military to own up to 10 percent of a large media firm is a risk Taiwan cannot afford to take, a lawyer said A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator has proposed amendments to allow the government, political parties and the military to indirectly invest in broadcast media, prompting concerns of potential political interference. Under Article 1 of the Satellite Broadcasting Act (衛星廣播電視法), the government and political parties — as well as foundations established with their endowments, and those commissioned by them — cannot directly or indirectly invest in satellite broadcasting businesses. A similar regulation is in the Cable Radio and Television Act (有線廣播電視法). “The purpose of banning the government, political parties and the military from investing in the media is to prevent them from interfering
RSS