The Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) reached a new four-year tentative agreement with General Motors of Canada on Thursday. The deal is similar to the one between
Ford and the CAW earlier this week.
The new agreement includes a $3,000 quality and productivity bonus for workers upon ratification as well as cost of living lump sum payments (to be paid before the Christmas holiday period) of $2,000 in each of 2013, 2014 and 2015.
It also offers protection of current pension benefits for existing workers and incremental improvements in benefits, including dental care. New employees will now start at $20.40 an hour, which represents 60% of the current base rate, and reach full compensation after 10 years.
Moreover, GM will add a third shift at the Oshawa Flex assembly plant while creating, maintaining or extending 1,750 jobs across the country.
Chrysler is the last of the Big Three not to have reached an agreement with the CAW. The threat of a work stoppage at its Canadian facilities is still on the table.
Set to go on sale in Canada on September 24th, the all-new
2013 Honda Accord will start at $23,990. That's the price for the base LX sedan with 6-speed manual transmission.
The Accord Coupe, meanwhile, will arrive at dealerships on November 1st with more content and a lower MSRP ($26,290) than the 2012 model.
The new top-of-the-line Honda Accord Touring sedan, featuring the HondaLink connectivity system, Honda LaneWatch blind spot monitoring system, heated rear seats and other luxurious amenities, will retail for $35,290.
"Due to added standard features and technologies, coupled with price reductions, the new Accord adds up to $3,500 in additional value for Canadian customers compared to the outgoing model," claims Jerry Chenkin, executive vice president of Honda Canada.
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| Photo: Honda |
From press release
Alan Bellavance clinched the 2012 Quebec GT Challenge Series' title with two fifth places at the last round, held at the Calabogie Motorsports Park.
The Quebec GT Challenge was created late in 2011 to give every racer a chance to go on track, no matter what type of car he or she was driving. Challenge founder Charles Hammer saw an opportunity to race the kind of car he likes to drive.
“A lot of racers own well prepared cars that do not fit in the current racing class structure because of age, preparation rules or outright speed. We decided to create a series where you can “Run What You Brung”, be it a Prototype, an old Trans-Am or production-based car, or a recent Super Car,” Hammer said.
Seven double-header rounds, featuring standing starts, two 20-to-30 minute races with an obligatory pit stop, took place at the Circuit ICAR and the Autodrome St-Eustache near Montreal, and at the Calabogie Motorsports Park, just West of Ottawa.
A total of 18 drivers took part in the series, an excellent number for a first season. Series Director Cliff Dawson of Pro racing management is happy with the first season's results.
“We know there are a lot of idle race cars out there and drivers who will race them if the costs are kept within reason. That is one of our goals and we know that our approach will attract more and more people over the coming seasons. We will announce the 2013 schedule shortly, as well as a few refinements to simplify our rules and give every participant a chance at a good result,” Dawson explained.
The series' organisers congratulated Alan Bellavance, who raced his Honda Civic in all 14 races and finished on the podium four times over the season.
Tesla Motors might just be the fastest-growing car company in North America right now. And this November, its first Canadian dealership will open at Yorkdale Shopping Center in Toronto.
The Queen City is actually one of 10 locations that will welcome new Tesla showrooms in the upcoming weeks along with Garden City (NY), Boston and Chicago. Others will open in New Jersey, California, Florida and Virginia.
In most places, customers will be able to design their own
Tesla Model S on a large touchscreen and then view it on an 85'' video wall.
These openings will expand Tesla's retail network to 24 locations across North America and 34 worldwide.
Caterham F1 Team has confirmed Friday that Cyril Abiteboul will join the team as CEO, responsible for all the team's on and off-track operations and reporting to Caterham Group CEO Riad Asmat and Chairman Tony Fernandes.
Until January 2013 Abiteboul, currently Deputy Managing Director of Renault Sport F1, will split his duties between Caterham F1 Team and Renault Sport F1 to finalise ongoing projects.
Abiteboul has spent the 11 past years with Renault.
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| Cyril Abiteboul, Riad Asmat and Tony Fernandes. (Photo: Caterham F1 Team) |
“Cyril's appointment is more good news for our F1 team,” said Tony Fernandes.
“As CEO he will lead our F1 operation and will work closely with Riad, who can now turn his full attention to the continuing growth of the wider Caterham Group which is already active in the automotive, aerospace and marine industries. Cyril will also strengthen the excellent relationship that we have with Renault, particularly as we work towards the introduction of the new engine regulations in 2014 when engines will play an even greater role in overall car performance,” he added.
The Canadian Auto Workers reached a tentative labor agreement with General Motors that the union said will secure new investment, preserve jobs and delay the shutdown of a major assembly line.
U.S. federal policies to promote electric vehicles will cost $7.
A fired Toyota IT contractor has been accused of hacking into and sabotaging the company's internal computer software and system in a criminal complaint filed by federal prosecutors in Kentucky.
The 2013 Buick Encore crossover will cost $24,950, including a $750 destination charge. The top trim package, called Premium, will sticker at $28,940.
The Buick Encore will carry a base sticker price of $24,950, including shipping, when the small crossover arrives in showrooms early next year.
Also in this episode: A 1960 Corvette raced by Briggs Cunningham is locked in a complicated court battle, and the
Volkswagen AG's luxury Audi unit asked a Chinese dealer to remove a banner advocating the murder of Japanese people after a photograph of the sign went viral on the Internet amid escalating tensions between the two countries.
McLaren will unveil a unique version of the MP4-12C at the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix on Friday, Sept. 21.
Auto sales in September are expected to increase 11 percent from a year ago, keeping the industry on roughly the same pace as in August, J.D. Power and Associates said today.
Jeffrey Wooley, a director of Asbury Automotive Group, died last week. He was 67.
Jaguar is partnering with Gilt.com to sell a special version of its 2013
Opel is offering buyers of its new cars in Germany the chance hand back their vehicle if they are not satisfied with their purchase. The carmaker hopes to offer will help repair its sickly brand image.
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