310 workers return to Kokomo plant

Hundreds of workers have been recalled from layoffs to resume work at the Kokomo Transmission Plant and Indiana Transmission Plant 1.
According to Rich Boruff, president of UAW Local 685, 175 employees were back on the job Monday and another group will report for work on March 22. Boruff said a total of 257 non-skilled workers [...]

Automated-manual transmissions back on?

Even under Daimler rule, Chrysler engineers pushed forward with what one engineer observer called a state of the art transmissions that eliminated most of the disadvantages of its competitors. The dual-clutch automatic transmission, a manual transmission with two clutches which was operated without the need for driver input, would be smoother than a conventional automatic [...]

New plant heads named

New plant heads are:

Brampton: Kevin Hayes
Sterling Heights: Joseph Ozdowy
Jefferson North: Patrick Walsh
Toluca Body-in-White and Stamping: Carlos Rivera
Sterling Stamping: Robert Seabolt
Warren Stamping: Lance Schwartz

Other changes include:

James McBride was appointed Head of Central Planning and Investment Control of Powertrain Operations
Donald Dekeyser was appointed Head of the Trenton (Mich.) South Engine Plant.
Andrew Garibian was appointed Head of the [...]

Fiat impressed with Kokomo

A Kokomo Tribune article by Ken De La Bastide described a visit by Fiat reps to Chrysler’s four Kokomo plants last month, saying that the Fiat people were “impressed with the facilities.” 
Shawn Fain, a UAW representative, said they were impressed by the casting and transmission plants; the casting plant is on a larger scale than [...]

UAW okays suspension of jobs bank

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger announced the union will agree to suspend the Jobs Bank program and will allow Chrysler, Ford and General Motors to delay their payments to the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) that is due to assumer responsibility for retiree health care in 2010. The announcement came following an emergency meeting between Gettelfinger and the presidents and chairmen [...]

Chrysler invests in Kokomo casting plant for Phoenix engines

According to the Kokomo Tribune, Chrysler will invest $68 million in the Kokomo Casting Plant to make engine blocks for Chrysler’s new Phoenix six-cylinder engine and parts for the automated manual transmissions to be built in Tipton County. The Kokomo Common Council is considering a tax abatement on the new equipment on Monday; even with [...]