AFSCME 3357-HOF'S BLOG

Chryslerberus Announces 6000-7000 Job Cuts

Just a week after the UAW's contract with Chrysler was ratified, Chrysler, LLC announced plans to lay off 4,000 UAW members through shift reductions in Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. Earlier this week, Chrysler announced plans to lay off 1,000 salaried workers and 1,100 contract workers. Total job cuts in this round will amount approximately 6,000 workers (Detroit News) or 7,000 workers (Detroit Free Press). These cuts are part of an overall plan to cut the hourly workforce by 11,000 and the salaried workforce by 2,000. Most analysts think Cerberus's overall plan is to make Chrysler lean enough to make it an attractive aquisition candidate for another firm. In the past there has been speculation that prospective buyers could include Renault, General Motors or Magna International. Personally, I think the odds of General Motors buying Chrysler are about the same as the odds of me growing wings and flying home this afternoon. Renault would buy if the price was right. Magna seems to have a strange affinity to Chrysler, kind of like a moth attracted to a porchlight.


PT CRUISER LIVES - PT Convertible and Crossfire Die

In an addendum to yesterday's story about Chrysler's cancellation of several models. Yesterday I reported that the PT Cruiser was among the casualties. Autoblog reports today that only the PT Cruiser Convertible is being canned. The regular PT Cruiser Survives. The semi-Mercedes Chrysler Crossfire got caught in ints namesake, and it will disappear.