TDU - Teamsters for a Democratic Union

Original Article

July 25, 2008: Carhaulers across the USA are speaking out against the concessionary national contract that is being voted on right now.

Many are angry about the outright lies being told on the Teamster website about members’ sentiments.

You can read a letter from a concerned steward in Kansas City Local 41, who calls on president Hoffa to pull the plug on the lies and on those who abuse members. Click here to read the letter.

The International Union has even screwed up the ballot mailing, although most locals provided them with a clean list of carhaulers entitled to vote. The deadline for ballots has been extended to August 12.

If you need a duplicate ballot, contact your local union as soon as possible, and definitely before August 1. Encourage everyone to get a ballot and vote. Organize a big No vote at your terminal.

A jittery industry stomps on the brakes

AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
12:01 am U.S. ET | July 28

That high-pitched wail of grinding gears you hear coming from the auto industry these days? It’s the sound of carmakers downshifting madly as they swerve into the third quarter. So how low will second-half production go? Anal… [SUB]

Toyota cuts ‘08 outlook, says output to fall

Toyota Motor Corp. on Monday cut its 2008 group-wide global sales forecast by 350,000 units to 9.5 million vehicles due to a pronounced downturn in the U.S. market, in a rare setback for the world’s biggest automaker. The weaker sales outlook also means global production at the parent company would fall 1 percent from 2007 to 8.43 million vehicles, marking the first decline in seven years. [REG] 6:45 am U.S. ET | July 28

Ford banks on Mulally’s small-car plan

Ford executives knew they needed more small cars. The solution: A makeover of the Michigan Truck plant. The move is concrete evidence of the intense effort Ford executives are mounting to deal with rising gasoline prices. The result: Ford Motor is doubling down on CEO Alan Mulally’s small-car bet. The new Ford is going to look a lot different from the Ford he took over in 2006. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | July 28

Chevy plans new U.S. subcompact by ‘11

By 2011, Chevrolet will get a version of one of the three minicar concepts that General Motors unveiled at the 2007 New York auto show, company executives say. The vehicle, expected to replace the Aveo, will be expanded to the size of a subcompact. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | July 28

Dealers fresh out of Mini Coopers

The nation’s 82 Mini franchises are out of cars, and dealers can do little more than take orders and deliver preordered units for the rest of the year. As fuel prices have risen, demand for the Mini Cooper has outstripped supply. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | July 28