Weekly Wrap-Up – 26 March 2011
The week ending Saturday, 26 March 2011.
Japan – Japanese auto production resumes, slowly. A full recovery may take months.
General Motors resumes pickup truck production at its Louisiana plant after resolving Japanese supply issues.
Toyota continues Prius production.
Nissan resumes production as well.
Scott Burgess – The sharp-tongued writer for The Detroit News resigned after editors softened his scathing review of the Chrysler 200 over advertiser complaints. He was hired back with an apology from the paper.
UAW – The United Auto Workers are taking on external causes to win over a public weary of union entitlements. On Friday, under the direction of UAW President Bob King, the UAW disrupted business at a Bank of America branch expressing discontentment over the bank’s supposed underpayment of corporate taxes. They seem to have forgotten GM’s $45 billion tax break, a tax break that may keep several UAW members employed as the automaker emerges from bankruptcy.
Detroit – The Motor City loses a quarter of its population, mostly due to blacks relocating to suburbs with lower crime and better schools.
Saab – Saab CEO Jan Ake Jonsson has resigned. During its first year of independence from GM, Saab lost $308 million, though losses were expected as the company struggles to build sales momentum and expand to Russia and China.
General Motors – CEO Dan Akerson is under fire for GM’s fire sale pricing and for comparing automobiles to cans of soda.
Leave a Reply