Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins left his team’s 24-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday with what the team believe is an Achilles tendon injury which will rule him out for the rest of the campaign
Last Updated: 29/10/23 9:39pm
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) is carted off the field after sustaining an injury against the Green Bay Packers
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins is likely to miss the rest of the NFL season due to an Achilles injury picked up during his team’s 24-10 victory against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
Cousins walked gingerly to the sideline in the fourth quarter after getting sacked for a second consecutive play, a series that ended with Green Bay’s Karl Brooks blocking Greg Joseph’s 44-yard field-goal attempt.
The 35-year-old was getting treatment on the sideline during the Packers’ ensuing possession, which ended with them losing the ball on downs at the Minnesota 10-yard line.
Backup quarterback Jaren Hall – a rookie fifth-round pick from BYU – entered the game when the Vikings regained possession with 7:15 left in the game.
TwitterDue to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view thisPrivacy Options
“We are fearing an Achilles injury,” an emotional head coach Kevin O’Connell said after the game. “The severity of that, I do not know at this point.”
O’Connell said further testing to confirm the initial diagnosis at Lambeau Field would be completed in the next 24 hours.
“We’re thinking about our leader… our guy right now and I’m just so proud of him and way he’s played all season,” O’Connell said, adding Cousins was given the game ball in the locker room after leading the Vikings to a 4-4 record following an 0-3 start.
TwitterDue to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view thisPrivacy Options
Cousins completed 23 of 31 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns before his injury.
The Vikings have no decision on whether Hall or Nick Mullens would start if Cousins is out for the season, but O’Connell said Mullens could be an option moving forward because his back injury has improved.
(CBS DETROIT) – Funeral services for Samantha Woll, the board president of Detroit’s Issac Agree Downtown Synagogue, will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday.
Woll was found stabbed to death outside her home Saturday, Detroit police say. Detroit police are investigating a motive and did not have an update Sunday morning.
Woll, 40, had led the Issac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022. She was a former aide to Rep. Elissa Slotkin.
In a statement posted on X Saturday, Slotkin said, “My heart aches that we have lost someone so dedicated to serving others in such a senseless act. I’ll miss her relentless desire to serve & her bright smile seemingly everywhere across the Detroit area. Team Slotkin shares in the deep grief of her family & her greater community.”
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel posted on social media Saturday, “I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone.”
Hebrew Memorial Chapel in Oak Park is hosting funeral services.
CBS News Detroit is streaming the funeral services at 3 p.m.
Investigators are searching for a motive in the death of a Detroit synagogue leader found stabbed over the weekend, the city’s police chief said.
The body of Samantha Woll, president of the board of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue, was discovered with multiple stab wounds at her home on Saturday morning, the Detroit Police Department said in a statement. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
Responding officers had followed “a trail of blood leading officers to the victim’s residence,” where it is believed the crime happened, the Detroit Police Department said in a statement.
Police have not identified a suspect in the case, and it’s still unclear what led up to the killing.
“Understandably, this crime leaves many unanswered questions,” Detroit Police Chief James E. White said in a statement on social media site X. “This matter is under investigation, and I am asking that everyone remain patient while investigators carefully examine every aspect of the available evidence.”
“It is important that no conclusions be drawn until all of the available facts are reviewed,” White added.
The FBI is aware of the incident, and “will assist the Detroit Police Department as requested,” the agency said in a statement to CNN.
Michigan State Police have also been assigned to support local police in the case, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced. “Together, they will investigate this vicious crime and bring the perpetrator to justice,” she added.
“My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her,” Whitmer said. “She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place.
Woll’s synagogue released a statement Saturday expressing shock over the her death.
“We are shocked and saddened to learn of the unexpected death of Samantha Woll, our Board President,” the synagogue said. “May her memory be a blessing.”
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he and Woll were celebrating the newly renovated synagogue together just a few weeks ago.
“It was a project she successfully led with great pride and enthusiasm,” Duggan said. “This entire city joins with her family and friends in mourning her tragic death.”
MoReno Taylor II, who worked with Woll on Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s reelection campaign in 2022, said her death was “a devastating loss.”
“Sam was a bright ball of light,” he told CNN. “She lit up every room that she walked into. She always had a huge smile. She always gave you a firm handshakeand asked about you, wanted to get to know who you were.”
He remembered Woll as a kind soul who was always involved in her community and was dedicated to giving back.
“She didn’t deserve this, and I really hope that they find a resolution to this as soon as possible and find whoever is responsible,” he said.
Taylor said he knew Woll for five years, and thought of her as a little sister.
“It’s very difficult to imagine that someone who was so genuine and so kind could befall this kind of tragedy,” he added.
Attorney General Nessel also shared her condolences in a statement on Facebook, saying, “Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country.”
Woll had also previously worked with Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin, according to a post on Slotkin’s social media.
The congresswoman said Woll “dedicated her short life to building understanding across faiths, bringing light in the face of darkness.”
The Democrat said Woll worked for her by helping set up the office and leading it throughout her first term.
“My heart aches that we have lost someone so dedicated to serving others in such a senseless act. I’ll miss her relentless desire to serve & her bright smile seemingly everywhere across the Detroit area,” the congresswoman said.
Samantha Woll, the Detroit synagogue leader who was killed on Saturday, was known as a “bridge builder” between Muslims and Jewish communities, according to her loved ones and local advocacy groups.
Woll, 40, the board president of the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue (IADS) since 2022, was found stabbed to death Saturday morning outside her home in Detroit’s Lafayette Park neighborhood, according to the Detroit Police Department and Michigan State Police (MSP).
“The Michigan State Police is on the ground and working with the Detroit Police Department as they continue to investigate the tragic death of Samantha Woll,” MSP Col. James F. Grady II said in a statement.
A motive for Woll’s slaying had not been determined at the time of publication. DPD Chief James E. White cautioned against drawing conclusions while urging people to be patient as the investigation continues, according to a statement by the department Saturday night.
The Detroit synagogue board president, 40-year-old Samantha Woll, was found stabbed to death on October 21 outside of her home, according to local authorities. Courtesy of Jewish Community Relations Council
Newsweek reached out via email and Facebook on Saturday to the DPD and the IADS for comment.
Woll was lauded for her professional accomplishments in the feature article “36 Under 36” by The Detroit Jewish News in 2017. The outlet noted that she had been “instrumental” in founding the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, which fosters positive relationships between those communities.
The “36 Under 36” feature said that the forum Woll co-founded has helped to “build and deepen” relationships that did not previously exist between the young Jewish and Muslim people in the area.
“By extending her hand and creating space for connection between Muslims and Jews, she has exemplified the values of healing the world,” The Detroit Jewish News wrote.
Newsweek reached out via Facebook to the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit for comment.
Sam Dubin, a spokesperson for the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), told Newsweek on Saturday night that the advocacy group is “absolutely heartbroken” over Woll’s death and harkened her as “an incredible leader.”
Dubin said Woll, who was a JCRC member, was a “passionate Muslim-Jewish bridge builder.”
“We are grieving for her family and our community,” Dubin said. “She will forever be remembered as a ray of sunlight to all who knew her.”
Woll has led efforts to unite the two communities for years, including a 2015 event she hosted at Wayne State University to bring together “unconventional allies,” Woll told Detroit public radio station WDET. The public event was planned by the Greater Detroit Muslim Jewish Solidarity Counciland included artwork and essays from Muslim and Jewish high school students who participated in a program called “We Refuse to Be Enemies.”
During her role as board president of the IADS, a century-old institution that is the only free-standing synagogue in downtown Detroit, Woll recently led the renovation of the renovation of the historic building on Griswold Street.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, praised Woll’s efforts on the renovation and said that he was “devastated” by the loss of “one of Detroit’s great young leaders.”
“Just weeks ago, I shared a day of joy with Sam at the dedication of the newly renovated Downtown Synagogue,” he wrote. “It was a project she successfully led with great pride and enthusiasm.”
In a subsequent post, the mayor added: “Sam’s loss has left a huge hole in the Detroit community. This entire city joins with her family and friends in mourning her tragic death.”
Woll was also the co-chair of the American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS Detroit Young Leadership Program and a board member of the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan.
In addition to being active in the Jewish community, Woll also had political connections. She previously worked for U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin and on the campaigns of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and State Representative Stephanie Chang, all Democrats.
Chang said in a Facebook post that Woll was a “beautiful friend.”
“Sam Woll was an endlessly positive, brilliant, creative, supportive, beautiful friend with a big heart and wonderful smile,” Chang said in the post, adding that Woll was “passionate about social justice, Detroit, her faith, and bringing people together.”
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
The stabbing death of a Detroit synagogue board president on Saturday has ignited a wave of criticism of Democratic Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who has been under mounting scrutiny after blaming Israel for a deadly strike on a Gaza hospital.
Samantha Woll, 40, who led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022, was found stabbed multiple times early Saturday morning outside of her home in Detroit’s Lafayette Park neighborhood, according to local media reports.
Woll was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Detroit Police Department (DPD). A motive has not been determined, nor had a suspect been made public as of Saturday evening, the department said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.
Despite the unclear motive, the news of Woll’s slaying sparked fresh backlash against Tlaib on social media, with people blasting the Michigan Democrat over a post she shared last week on X, formerly Twitter.
Newsweek reached out to the representatives for Tlaib and the DPD via email and Facebook on Saturday night for comment.
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (left) speaks at a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol Building on September 19, 2023 in Washington, DC. The Detroit synagogue board president, 40-year-old Samantha Woll (right), was found stabbed to death this morning outside her home, according to local reports. Woll’s death ignited a wave of criticism directed at Talib over the Michigan Democrat’s recent social media posts. Anna Moneymaker,/Getty, COURTESY OF JEWISH COMMUNITY RELATIONS COUNCIL
In the controversial social media post, Tlaib blamed Israel for the deadly blast at the Al-Ahli Arab Baptist Hospital in Gaza City on Tuesday that claimed nearly 500 lives, according to Palestinian officials.
“Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that,” Tlaib said in the post. “@POTUS this is what happens when you refuse to facilitate a ceasefire & help de-escalate. Your war and destruction only approach has opened my eyes and many Palestinian Americans and Muslims Americans like me. We will remember where you stood.”
Israel, Hamas and militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad have all denied responsibility for the devastating strike.
While it is unclear if Woll’s death has anything to do with the conflict in the Middle East, social media users accused Tlaib of inciting violence.
Laura Loomer, a far-right political activist and supporter of former President Donald Trump, lashed out at the Democratic lawmaker, saying that Woll’s death was “likely incited” by Tlaib’s comments.
“Michigan Jewish synagogue president Samantha Woll found dead outside Detroit home with multiple stab wounds in @rashidatlaib‘s district,” Loomer said in a post on X. “This is a hate crime. Likely Incited by Rashida’s calls for violence against Jews and her support for HAMAS.”
Michigan Jewish synagogue president Samantha Woll found dead outside Detroit home with multiple stab wounds in @rashidatlaib’s district.
This is a hate crime. Likely Incited by Rashida’s calls for violence against Jews and her support for HAMAS. https://t.co/SlWK1lvRKH
Ellie Cohanim, a former Deputy Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism under the Trump administration, blamed Tlaib for “spreading a blood libel” in a post on X.
“‘I point my finger at @RepRashida Tlaib for spreading a blood libel against Israel & Jews’” I told @FoxFriendsFirst,” Cohanim said in the social media post. “Now, Jewish member of Tlaib’s district—the president of a synagogue—Samantha Woll was found stabbed to death.”
Avraham Berkowitz also took to X to call out Tlaib.
“Samantha Woll, 40 years old, President of Jewish Synagogue in Detroit, stabbed to death outside her home,” Berkowitz said. “If Samantha was Muslim @RashidaTlaib@RepRashida would have already accused and blamed Jews of her murder. Samantha was also the founder of the Muslim-Jewish Forum of Detroit, a grassroots organization aimed to build relationships between young adults of both faiths. She previously worked for @RepSlotkin Details on who is responsible and if it is related to the war in Israel, is not yet known.”
Samantha Woll, 40 years old, President of Jewish Synagogue in Detroit, stabbed to death outside her home.
If Samantha was Muslim @RashidaTlaib@RepRashida would have already accused and blamed Jews of her murder.
Sam Dubin, a spokesperson for the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC), told Newsweek on Saturday night that the advocacy group is “absolutely heartbroken” over Woll’s death.
Dubin said Woll, who was a JCRC member as well as a board member of the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan, was an “incredible leader” and a “passionate Muslim-Jewish bridge builder.”
Tlaib, who is of Palestinian descent, has been under increasing scrutiny since Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7, with fellow lawmakers demanding she condemn the militant group’s actions. The Michigan Democrat previously released a statement mourning the loss of life on both Israeli and Palestinian sides, but she has not directly condemned Hamas’ attack.
As of Saturday, more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed and an estimated 4,000 Palestinians in Gaza have died, the Associated Press reported
Shortly after the attack on Southern Israel earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country is “at war” and cut off food, fuel, electricity, and medicine supplies into Gaza, home to an estimated around 2.3 million people, including roughly 600 Palestinian-Americans.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
DETROIT (AP) — A Detroit synagogue president was found stabbed to death outside her home Saturday, police said. The motive wasn’t known.
Emergency medical personnel declared the woman, identified in a statement from Mayor Mike Duggan as Samantha Woll, dead at the scene, Cpl. Dan Donakowski said.
“While at the scene, police officers observed a trail of blood leading officers to the victim’s residence, which is where the crime is believed to have occurred,” Donakowski said.
Woll, 40, had led the Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue since 2022 and was a former aide to Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin and campaign staffer for Attorney General Dana Nessel, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Police have not identified a possible motive and are investigating, the Free Press reported.
Police found Woll around 6:30 a.m. after someone called to alert them of a person lying on the ground unresponsive, the Free Press reported.
In a statement, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said Woll’s death was heartbreaking.
“She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place,” the governor said.
Michigan State Police were assigned to support the Detroit Police Department in the investigation, Whitmer said.
“Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known,” Nessel said. “She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone.”
I am shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known. She was driven by her sincere love of her community, state and country. Sam truly used her faith and activism to create a better place for everyone. pic.twitter.com/gIYRP4USaj
Duggan issued a statement saying he was “devastated” to learn of Woll’s death.
“Sam’s loss has left a huge hole in the Detroit community,” the mayor said. “This entire city joins with her family and friends in mourning her tragic death.”
Samantha Woll, the president of a Detroit synagogue, was found stabbed to death Saturday outside her home, officials said.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a social media post that Woll was murdered.
Nessel wrote she was, “shocked, saddened and horrified to learn of Sam’s brutal murder. Sam was as kind a person as I’ve ever known.”
The Detroit Police Department said in a statement to CBS News that officers responded to a 911 call in downtown Detroit’s Lafayette Park neighborhood Saturday morning, where they found a victim dead at the scene from multiple stab wounds.
Police said officers “observed a trail of blood” from the body which led them to the victim’s home in the 1300 block of Joliet Place, where the slaying is believed to have occurred.
A motive for the killing is not yet known, police said.
Although police did not identify the victim, the Detroit Free Press reported that the body was found outside the home of Woll.
“It is important that no conclusions be drawn until all of the available facts are reviewed,” the police department wrote on social media Saturday night. Police said it would provide an update on the investigation Sunday.
Issac Agree Downtown Synagogue, where Woll was board president, said in a statement that they were “shocked and saddened to learn of the unexpected death,” and they “do not have more information,” but will share it when it becomes available.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said he was “devastated today to learn of the loss of one of Detroit’s great young leaders,” and that the entire city, “joins with her family and friends in mourning her tragic death.”
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement that she had been briefed on the killing, adding that she had directed Michigan State Police to assist in the investigation into “this vicious crime.”
“My heart breaks for her family, her friends, her synagogue, and all those who were lucky enough to know her,” Whitmer wrote. “She was a source of light, a beacon in her community who worked hard to make Michigan a better place.”
A spokesperson for the FBI told CBS News it was aware of the incident, and would be available to assist Detroit police with the investigation.
Striking United Auto Workers (UAW) members from the General Motors Lansing Delta Plant picket in Delta Township, Michigan September 29, 2023.
Rebecca Cook | Reuters
DETROIT – The United Auto Workers union believes there is “more to be won” in ongoing contract negotiations with the Detroit automakers following five weeks of labor strikes against the companies, UAW President Shawn Fain said Friday.
His comments come despite record contract offers from General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis that now include 23% hourly pay increases and other significantly enhanced benefits during the terms of the four and a half-year deal.
“There is more to be won,” Fain said during an online broadcast. “These are already record contracts, but they come at the end of decades of record decline. So it’s not enough to be the best ever, when auto workers have gone backwards over the last two decades. That’s a very low bar.”
Despite Fain’s comments, the union did not announce additional strikes Friday against any of the companies. He said the “bottom line is we’ve got cards left to play, and they’ve got money left to spend.”
Fain did not address a Friday report by Bloomberg that the union has asked for a 25% increase in general wages.
The union has not announced any additional strikes since initiating an unexpected walkout on Oct. 11 at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant that produces highly profitable pickup trucks and SUVs. That’s despite Ford having the best proposal regarding economics, as outlined Friday by Fain.
Fain spent quite a notable amount of time during the online broadcast discussing how the union plans to use these talks to assist in organizing non-union plans. He also heavily criticized the Monday comments of Ford Chair Bill Ford to bring an end to the negotiations.
“Bill Ford said it shouldn’t be Ford versus the UAW. He said it should be the UAW and Ford against foreign automakers,” Fain said. “I want to be crystal clear on one thing: The days of the UAW and Ford being a team to fight other companies are over … Non-union autoworkers are not the enemy. Those are our future union family.”
Ford said it remains “eager to conclude these negotiations with a contract” that benefits its workers, citing it’s “good that Mr. Fain acknowledged Ford’s contract offer ‘already’ is a record and remains the best one on the table.”
Stellantis said the sides “continue to be productive, building on the momentum from the past several weeks,” but declined to discuss specific details. GM declined to comment regarding Fain’s comments, citing details it released of its most recent offer earlier Friday.
The UAW hasn’t expanded strikes at GM since Sept. 29 or at Stellantis since Sept. 22, despite offers made this week not meeting details of Ford’s proposal from last week and Fain last week saying the union was initiating a “new phase” of strikes and contract negotiations.
“Right before a deal is when there’s the most aggressive push for that last mile. They just want to wait us out,” Fain said. “They want division. They want fear. They want uncertainty. And what we have is our solidarity.”
The strike at Ford’s Kentucky plant — responsible for $25 billion in revenue annually — marked a major escalation in the UAW’s targeted, or “stand-up,” strikes. It also represents a shift in strategy, as Fain had previously publicly announced the targets before the work stoppages occurred.
The UAW has been gradually increasing the strikes since the work stoppages began after the sides failed to reach tentative agreements by Sept 14.
About 34,000 U.S. automakers with the companies, or roughly 23% of UAW members covered by the expired contracts with the Detroit automakers, were on strike.
Here are details of current proposals by the companies to UAW:
Wages: All three automakers have offered a 23% pay increase over four and a half years.
Wage tiers: All three automakers have agreed to eliminate wage tiers at parts facilities where workers have historically been paid less than production-line workers.
Wage progression: Ford has offered a three-year progression to the top wage rate, a system that was in place from the mid-1990s until the aftermath of the 2008 economic crisis. GM has also offered a three-year progression, but only for current workers. GM wants a more gradual four-year progression for future hires. Stellantis has offered only a four-year progression.
Cost of living adjustments (COLA): Ford has offered to restore its COLA formula to the level last used in 2009, meeting the UAW’s demand. Fain said that GM is “approaching restoration but not fully there,” while Stellantis wants to delay cost-of-living adjustments by a year.
Job security: Ford and Stellantis have agreed to give the union the right to strike over plant closures, a key UAW demand. GM has so far rejected that demand.
Temporary workers: Ford has offered to convert current temp workers with 90 days of service to full-time employees, with a raise to $21 per hour for remaining and future temps. Whether those future temps will be converted to full-time employees automatically is still being negotiated, Fain said. GM has proposed to convert current and future temps with one year of service to full time employees, and has matched Ford with a $21 per hour wage for remaining and future temps. Stellantis agreed to convert “thousands” of current temps to full-time status, with a wage increase to $20 per hour for remaining and future temps. As with Ford, the automatic conversion of future temps is “still being negotiated,” Fain said.
Retirement plans: All three automakers have offered a $3 increase to pension benefits. Ford and Stellantis have offered to increase their 401(k) contributions to 9.5% plus $1 per hour. GM offered an increase to 8% plus $1.25 per hour.
Payments to retired workers: Ford offered annual lump sum payments of $250 to retired workers, with surviving spouses eligible to continue to receive the payments. GM offered a one-time lump sump payment of $1,000, with surviving spouses not eligible. Stellantis rejected all increases to retiree pay. Fain said all three offers were “deeply inadequate.”
Profit sharing: Ford offered to improve its existing profit-sharing formula by including profits from Ford Credit, its financing subsidiary, and to make temp workers eligible to receive profit-sharing payments. Stellantis and GM both want to maintain their current profit-sharing formulas, but GM has offered to make temp workers with 1,000 hours of service eligible to receive payments. Stellantis has not offered to make its temporary workers eligible to receive profit-sharing payments.
Work-life balance: All three automakers have offered to make Juneteenth an official paid holiday and have offered two weeks of paid parental leave.
UAW Local 5960 member Kimberly Fuhr inspects a Chevrolet Bolt EV during vehicle production on May 6, 2021, at the General Motors Orion Assembly Plant in Orion Township, Michigan.
Steve Fecht for Chevrolet
DETROIT – General Motors said Tuesday it is delaying production of all-electric trucks at a Michigan plant by at least a year to “better manage capital investments” and implement improvements in an effort to make the new EVs more profitable.
GM now plans to begin construction of its next-generation EVs at Orion Assembly in suburban Detroit by late 2025, instead of next year. The factory currently produces Chevrolet Bolt EV models, which GM will cease producing at the end of this year.
The delay is the latest sign of potential trouble for the ambitious, multibillion-dollar plans of traditional automakers to move to electric vehicles. Adoption of EVs, which remain costly to produce and purchase, has been slower than many expected.
“General Motors today confirmed it will retime the conversion of its Orion Assembly plant to EV truck production to late 2025, to better manage capital investment while aligning with evolving EV demand. In addition, we have identified engineering improvements that we will implement to increase the profitability of our products,” the company said in a statement.
The change in plans is not connected to the company’s ongoing contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers union, according to a GM spokesman. However, the contentious talks do involve EVs, and current contract proposals by the company are expected to be more expensive than those in year’s past. The UAW, which represents workers at Orion Assembly, did not immediately respond for comment.
The production delay calls into question GM’s previously announced EV goals, including cumulative production of 400,000 EVs in North American from 2022 through mid-2024, which had already been pushed back. GM also has a goal to exclusively offer consumer EVs by 2035.
A GM spokesman late-Tuesday said there’s currently no change in plans to the company’s EV production targets.
New electric versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra that were supposed to be produced at Orion Assembly will be assembled at GM’s Factory Zero in Detroit, the company said. Limited production of the Silverado EV is underway, while Sierra is scheduled to begin next year.
Alongside the Silverado EV, Factory Zero is currently building the GMC Hummer EV pickup and SUV and Cruise Origin shuttle.
In January 2022, GM announced it would invest $4 billion to convert Orion Assembly to produce electric trucks. The plant was expected to be its second U.S. assembly plant to exclusively produce EVs. GM said construction includes significant facility and capacity expansion at the site, including new body and paint shops and new general assembly and battery pack assembly areas.
Roughly 1,000 hourly workers at Orion Assembly will have the option to transfer to other Michigan facilities until the retooling at Orion Assembly is completed.
The New York Giants are still yet to score an offensive touchdown in the first half of a game in the 2023 NFL season; Cincinnati Bengals rookie Andrei Iosivas scores his first NFL touchdown on his birthday in the win over the Seattle Seahawks.
Last Updated: 17/10/23 6:26am
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder
Sky Sports Cricket statistician – and big Buffalo Bills fan – Benedict Bermange dives into the 2023 NFL season to pick out the best stats from each week…
It was a ‘Kickathon’ in London as there were nine field goals in the Ravens’ 24-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans – only the 10th game in NFL history with that many field goals. There were 10 in the 2019 meeting between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
Justin Tucker made six field goals in the game, and Nick Folk tied Tucker’s record with his 70th consecutive field goal under 40 yards.
The Atlanta Falcons’ loss to the Washington Commanders was Desmond Ridder’s first home defeat in either his College or NFL career. Prior to this weekend’s 24-16 defeat, he was 5-0 at home in the NFL having gone 26-0 at home over the course of his college career in Cincinnati from 2018 to 2021.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week Six of the NFL season.
Highlights of the Seattle Seahawks against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week Six of the NFL season.
Andrei Iosivas of the Bengals scored his first career touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks. He became the first wide receiver to score his first NFL touchdown on his birthday since Chris Conley of the Kansas City Chiefs against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 25, 2015.
It was another one-score game for the Minnesota Vikings as they defeated the Chicago Bears 19-13. They improved their record this season to 2-4 having been a perfect 11-0 in one-score games in last year’s regular season.
The Jacksonville Jaguars defeated the Colts 37-20 and in doing so raised their record to 4-2. This marks the first time for 82 games that they have been at least wo games above .500. The last time was when they were 3-1 after four games of the 2018 season. However, they then proceeded to lose 10 of their last 12 games to end 5-11.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Tyreek Hill celebrated his touchdown by taking a phone and recording a selfie of himself doing a back flip.
Tyreek Hill celebrated his touchdown by taking a phone and recording a selfie of himself doing a back flip.
Having scored two touchdowns against the Buffalo Bills in London last week, Travis Etienne scored two more against the Indianapolis Colts. He joined Frank Gore of the San Francisco 49ers as the only players to have scored at least two touchdowns in back-to-back games in different countries. Back in 2013 Gore achieved the feat in Week Seven against the Tennessee Titans and then in Week Eight against the Jaguars in London.
Etienne’s two touchdowns this week came in the space of 16 seconds. Only three players have scored two touchdowns in a shorter span in the same half:
Shortest span between touchdowns in one half
Player
Team
Opposition
Year
Time (seconds)
Shaun Alexander
Sea
Minn
2002
0.09
Jeremy Chinn
Car
Min
2020
0.10
LaDainian Tomlinson
SD
Cin
2006
0.15
Travis Etienne
Jax
Ind
2023
0.16
Derrick Henry
Ten
Jax
2019
0.16
The Cleveland Browns became the first team to defeat the 49ers in the regular season since the Chiefs in Week Seven of last year. The 49ers had won 15 straight regular-season games, tying the longest winning streak in franchise history.
Christian McCaffrey became the fourth player in NFL history to score a scrimmage touchdown in 15 straight games including the playoffs. He now trails only Lenny Moore for the most consecutive games with at least one touchdown scored of any kind. Moore scored in 17 consecutive games from 1963 to 1964.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the San Francisco 49ers against the Cleveland Browns in Week Six of the NFL season.
Highlights of the San Francisco 49ers against the Cleveland Browns in Week Six of the NFL season.
The Houston Texans defeated the New Orleans Saints despite CJ Stroud throwing his first career interception. It came on his 192nd pass attempt, a new record for the most consecutive pass attempts without an interception to begin a career.
The New York Jets won their first-ever game against the Philadelphia Eagles after a run of 12 straight defeats which dated back to their first-ever meeting back in 1973. It was the Jets first win against an opponent that was undefeated in Week Six or later since they beat the Colts in Week 16 of the 2009 season.
The Giants have still not scored an offensive touchdown in the first half of a game this season. The only teams to have had worse starts to a season in that respect were the 1998 Chargers and Buccaneers, neither of whom scored an offensive touchdown in any of their first seven games of the season.
Week Six in the NFL begins when the Kansas City Chiefs host the Denver Broncos, live on Sky Sports NFL from 1.15am in the early hours of Friday morning. Stream the 2023 NFL season and more with NOW.
The chairman of Ford is urging the United Auto Workers to end its strike against the company his great grandfather Henry Ford started in 1903, arguing that America’s future is tied to the success of the iconic car brand.
In his first public statement since the union strike began last month, Bill Ford on Monday said some UAW members are his long-time friends. But he also criticized the union, saying its leaders have tried to paint the Michigan automaker as the enemy.
“This should not be Ford versus the UAW,” the chair said during a press conference in Dearborn, Michigan. “It should be Ford and the UAW versus Toyota, Honda and Tesla — and all the Chinese companies that want to enter our home market.”
Ford’s comments land as his company is engaged in protracted negotiations with the UAW over a new labor contract. The union is asking Detroit’s Big Three automakers for wage increases, annual cost-of-living adjustments, pension benefits for all employees, greater job security, a faster path to full-time status for temporary workers and a four-day work week.
The strike entered its fifth week on Monday, as both sides remain at odds over key concessions. UAW leaders tapped more Ford employees to strike last Thursday with 8,700 walking out of a truck factory in Kentucky.
Four weeks of a UAW strike has already created $7.7 billion in industry losses, according to Michigan consulting firm Anderson Economic Group. That includes $3.45 billion in losses for the Big Three, the firm estimates.
Responding to Ford’s comments, Fain on Monday said the chairman should “Call up Jim Farley, tell him to stop playing games and get a deal done.” Farly is CEO of Ford Motors.
The union leader went on to say that employees at Honda, Tesla, Toyota, and others are not the enemy, they’re future UAW members.
“It’s not the UAW and Ford against foreign automakers. It’s autoworkers everywhere against corporate greed,” Fain said. “If Ford wants to be the all-American auto company, they can pay all-American wages and benefits.
In line with past statements by top executives at all Big Three automakers, who have argued since before the strikes began that they have been engaged in “good faith” negotiations with the UAW, Ford blasted union leaders for targeting the automaker’s Kentucky plant, despite record offers having been made.
“We’ve offered a record contract which would have made our UAW employees among the best paid manufacturing workers in the world,” said Ford. “Despite this, the UAW leaders decided to escalate and strike our Kentucky truck plant last week.”
Ford Motors, in response to the Kentucky strike, laid off an additional 550 employees across plants in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. To date, about 2,480 Ford workers have been laid off as a result of the strike.
General Motors and Stellantis (the parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram) have also laid off workers across the U.S. due to the strike.
The strike at the truck plant that builds the Super Duty pickup, Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition large SUVs took the automaker by surprise, a particularly tough blow as the lineup represents the company’s most lucrative products, generating $25 billion a year in revenue.
The UAW is no longer notifying the Big Three automakers before calling additional walkouts amid the labor group’s ongoing strike, Fain said in a live webcast on Friday.
“We are prepared at any time to call on more locals to stand up and walk out,” Fain said. “Going forward, we will be calling out plants when we need to, with little notice.”
Ford Motor and the UAW must resolve contract negotiations because that’s what’s best for workers, the auto sector and the nation, the Ford’s chairman also said.
“I call on my great UAW colleagues — some of whom I’ve known for decades,” Ford said, advising company negotiators to ignore the name-calling and accusatory rhetoric that often comes with hammering out a new labor agreement. “We need to come together to bring an end to this acrimonious round of talks.” Ford said he has been involved in negotiating every UAW contract since 1982 and the key is to not take the heated discussions personally.
“When this ends, we have to all work together again and, not just work together, but become a family and continue on and we will,” he said. “So that’s why I think it’s really important I keep urging restraint in terms of any kind of rhetoric, because it’s not helpful.”
Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.
United Auto Workers members strike the General Motors Lansing Delta Assembly Plant on September 29, 2023 in Lansing, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images
DETROIT – A shift in strategy by the United Auto Workers union this week has some analysts wondering if the parties are — perhaps, counterintuitively — getting closer to a deal.
On Wednesday the union initiated a surprise work stoppage at Ford Motor’s Kentucky Truck Plant. The strike involves 8,700 workers and affects the most crucial plant, by far – responsible for $25 billion in revenue annually – that the union has walked out on since the strikes began Sept. 15. It’s expected to quickly have a ripple effect on other Ford plants and suppliers.
It also ushered in what UAW President Shawn Fain characterized as a “new phase” of strikes and contract negotiations with Ford, General Motors and Chrysler-parent Stellantis, giving the union the element of surprise to keep the automakers on edge during the ongoing negotiations, Fain told members in a Friday presentation.
“We’re entering a new phase of this fight and it demands a new approach,” Fain said Friday. “We’re done waiting until Fridays to escalate our strike.
“We are prepared at any time to call on more locals to stand up and walk out,” he said.
Until this week, Fain had announced all of the union’s new strikes on Fridays, during what has become a weekly livestreamed update for union members.
Some Wall Street analysts and industry experts think this week’s shift in strategy could be a sign that UAW leaders feel a deal with Ford is close, and that they’re increasing pressure as a tactic to get the deal over the finish line — and to help sell a potential tentative deal to their members.
“We continue to believe the escalation at [Ford] this week is a sign the talks may be coming to an end. KY Truck is likely Ford’s most profitable plant, and therefore the strike is the highest level of escalation, aside from a national strike,” Wells Fargo analyst Colin Langan wrote in a Friday note. “This escalation would likely be done to push for final terms.”
But the UAW’s leaders may be looking one more step ahead, to the process of selling a tentative deal with Ford to their members. The thinking is that to convince members to ratify a potential new contract, UAW President Shawn Fain and the union’s leadership will need to convince autoworkers that the union has fought as hard as possible to have their demands met. Striking Ford’s most profitable factory might be one way to do that.
Wolfe Research’s Rod Lache argued the Kentucky strike may allow UAW leadership to claim that they did all that could be done, especially if it leads to one or two more concessions from Ford.
“In another week or two, Fain should be able to credibly announce that he has forced Ford into one last capitulation (battery plants?), and that UAW members have secured the last few ounces of wage, benefits, and job protection concessions that they can get,” Lache wrote Thursday to investors.
Factory workers and UAW union members form a picket line outside the Ford Motor Co. Kentucky Truck Plant in the early morning hours on October 12, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.
Only about 34,000 U.S. automakers with the companies, or roughly 23% of UAW members covered by the expired contracts with the Detroit automakers, are currently on strike.
“Hitting a very high-dollar, high-profitable plant, it certainly gets Ford’s attention very quickly,” said Art Wheaton, a labor professor at the Worker Institute at Cornell University. “It also sends a huge message to Stellantis and General Motors.”
Wheaton argues the escalation in Kentucky may just be the beginning. There are plenty more plants the union could hit for each of the automakers, including the full-size pickup truck plants owned by all three and large SUV plants at GM and Stellantis.
GM avoided a strike at its most profitable SUV plant in Texas last week with a last-minute offer to include battery cell plant workers under the company’s national agreement, however details regarding how that will be done are believed to be still being negotiated.
While Fain declined to expand strikes against GM and Stellantis Friday, Wells Fargo’s Langan thinks that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re spared.
“The lack of GM & STLA strike today, even though both have not matched F’s offer, would be consistent with the UAW holding out the most profitable plants for a final push,” he wrote in a Friday note.
All of that tea-leaf reading aside, rapid escalation-turned-resolution is just one potential outcome.
Another includes the automakers holding out for the union to deplete its resources, specifically its strike and defense fund. Or, the UAW could continue rotating strikes or filing additional unfair labor practice charges against the companies. Yet another outcome could see the sides seeking mediation or legal resources.
“I think they’ve got to be getting close to some sort of an agreement, or you just have to conclude a reasonable deal is not in the making — and that this is really more a matter of a test of will than anything else,” said Marick Masters, a business professor at Wayne State University in Detroit who specializes in labor issues.
An automaker also could submit what’s known as a “last, best and final offer,” which, as it states, is typically a final proposal when bargainers have reached an impasse.
Ford may be close to that point. An executive said Thursday the automaker was “at the limit” of what it can offer UAW in terms of economic concessions.
The Detroit automakers have largely given into many of the union’s demands, but not all of them.
The companies haven’t waved the white flag on demands for a 32-hour workweek — which was always a nonstarter for the companies and which has largely fallen out of union talking points — and a 40% wage increase.
Ford was up to a record 23% wage increase in its recent contract proposal, with the others not far behind.
Then there’s the outstanding issues of benefits for retirees as well as a return to traditional pension plans and future battery plant jobs and workers.
Industry experts and sources familiar with the talks believe regardless of the outcome, the contracts will have ripple effects on the companies potentially in the way of reorganizations, cost cuts and future investments and jobs.
A former high-ranking bargainer for one of the automakers told CNBC that it’s nearly guaranteed that the companies will cut union jobs through product allocation, plant closures or other means to offset increased labor costs once the contracts are set.
“They’re going to have to pay up. The question is how much,” said the longtime bargainer, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity. “This ends up with fewer jobs. That’s how the automakers cut costs.”
Around the NFL’s Gregg Rosenthal joins Hannah Wilkes and Phoebe Schecter on this week’s Her Huddle to look ahead to Sunday’s final NFL London game of the season; coverage of the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans begins at 1pm ahead of kick-off at 2.30pm live on Sky this Sunday
Last Updated: 13/10/23 5:33pm
On this week’s edition of the Her Huddle podcast, Hannah Wilkes and Phoebe Schecter were joined by Around the NFL podcast hero Gregg Rosenthal to preview Sunday’s NFL London match-up between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans.
It was an offseason of change in Baltimore as Todd Monken arrived from College Football national champions Georgia to lead a new era for the Ravens’ offense. In replacing Greg Roman he sought to install the most diverse offense yet, designed to preserve not only Lamar Jackson’s explosiveness but showcase his passing talents in a more expansive aerial attack.
“Lamar Jackson to me is different, I was curious as to how he was going to look in this offense,” said Rosenthal on Her Huddle. “I know they [the Ravens] are 3-2 and have blown two games they shouldn’t have, but as a Lamar Jackson fan this is what I’ve always wanted, which is a normal offense.
“That’s not just a unique and creative tough-to-stop running game, it’s like ‘ohh there’s open receivers down the field, I haven’t seen that in the past!’
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
A look at Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s top plays from the 2023 season so far
A look at Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s top plays from the 2023 season so far
“They still have a good running game because Todd Monken coaches that up, the offensive line is good and Lamar makes the running game better. But you see Odell Beckham open, Zay Flowers open, Mark Andrews open; I see Lamar more accurate and better from the pocket.
“I know people will say ‘Lamar has always been good from the pocket’, but guys do get better as they age, mentally he’s even better than he was four years ago and he’s really playing well.”
Derrick Henry remains the ever-familiar heartbreak of the Tennessee offense as he comes up against a Ravens defense that has ranked second against the run through five weeks this season.
“Henry is so hard if he can get to the second level, to take down,” added Rosenthal. “Roquan Smith on the Ravens’ defense has been one of the very best defensive players in the league, he is key to it.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
A look at the best plays from Titans running back Derrick Henry from this season so far
A look at the best plays from Titans running back Derrick Henry from this season so far
“They lose a lot of players but they are so well-coached it’s hard to run against them.
“If he can get to the second level he can make big plays. I’d love to see him with a big long run. It’s not just him, though. They have a rookie Tyjae Spears who went to my alma mater Tulane, he is making a really nice impact as a second running back.”
Which Titans team will turn up?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler from the Around the NFL podcast preview the London game between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans
Dan Hanzus and Marc Sessler from the Around the NFL podcast preview the London game between the Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans
Fellow Around the NFL podcast hero Dan Hanzus has questioned which Mike Vrabel-led Titans team will show in London this weekend amid their to and fro form that has seen them cruise beyond the Cincinnati Bengals and lose to the Indianapolis Colts in recent weeks.
“The Titans are a team that is hard to figure out week to week, but they have playoff potential,” Hanzus told Sky Sports this week.
“Their offense is ranking near the bottom of the league in a lot of categories but there are pieces there. They added a veteran receiver in DeAndre Hopkins who has really played well for them, Ryan Tannehill is a veteran quarterback who has proven before he can lead a team to a deep playoff run.
“King Henry (Derrick Henry) is one of the great running backs of his era, it will be tough against the Ravens defense but he has the ability to go for 150 yards.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Odell Beckham Jr shows his excitement at being able to link up with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and says he is worth all the money in the world
Odell Beckham Jr shows his excitement at being able to link up with Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson and says he is worth all the money in the world
Marc Sessler is, meanwhile, braced for the most dynamic and dangerous MVP-winning Jackson yet as the Ravens seek to bypass the Titans’ stern ground blockade.
“They’ve been real up and down the Titans, and it starts with their quarterback play,” said Sessler. “I really think Tennessee’s strength in most games has been their run defense, and Baltimore wants to attack you with the run but they are much more competent through the air right now.
“This is a much more different Ravens offense through the air than we’ve seen in the past. We’re getting the best version of Lamar Jackson that we’ve gotten in a while.”
Watch the Baltimore Ravens against the Tennessee Titans in the final NFL London game of the season live on Sky Sports this Sunday, with coverage beginning at 1pm ahead of kick-off at 2.30pm at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ford is recalling more than 238,000 Explorers in the U.S. because a rear axle bolt can fail, potentially causing a loss of drive power or allowing the SUVs to roll away while in park.
The recall comes after U.S. safety regulators opened an investigation into the problem after getting two complaints that repairs didn’t work in two previous recalls this year and in 2022.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says in documents posted Friday on its website that the rear axle horizontal mounting bolt can fracture and cause the driveshaft to disconnect, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace a bushing (which is a cushion made of rubber or other rubber-like material) and the rear axle bolt. They also will inspect the rear axle cover for damage near the bolt hole and replace the cover if damage is found. Owners will be notified by letter starting November 6.
Ford is recalling more than 238,000 Explorers from 2020 (seen above) through 2022 model years in the U.S. because a rear axle bolt can fail.
Raymond Boyd / Getty Images
Ford said in documents that it knows of 396 reports of rear axle bolt failures, and fewer than 5% caused loss of power or let vehicles roll while they were in park. The company says it’s not aware of any crashes or injuries.
NHTSA opened its investigation in June after getting complaints alleging loss of power due to failure of rear axle bolts even though the Explorers had received repairs under the previous recalls.
Ford’s remedy was to update software that automatically applied the parking brake to keep the vehicles from rolling away. But the agency said in documents that there was no remedy addressing the failed axle bolt.
Ford said Friday that it was replacing axle bolts under service campaigns before the latest recall.
Previous Ford recall over parking brake issues
Ford Motor recalled about 870,000 F-150 pickup trucks in July because of a faulty parking brake that could turn on by itself, causing the driver to lose control. The Michigan automaker fixed the issue on affected trucks brought in to Ford and Lincoln dealerships by consumers, by installing a protective tie strap and tape wrap on the brake wiring as well as replacing the rear axle wiring harness which could be susceptible to chafing resulting in the grounding of circuits.
Company documents at the time stated that Ford had 918 warranty claims and three field reports of wire chafing in North America. Of those, 299 indicated unexpected parking brake activation, 19 of which occured while the trucks were being driven.
There were no reports of crashes or injuries caused by the problem, Ford stated at the time of the recall.
Thanks for reading CBS NEWS.
Create your free account or log in for more features.
Elsewhere Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano looks set to miss the rest of the 2023 season after suffering a leg and knee injury during his team’s defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London; New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones also suffers an injury
Last Updated: 08/10/23 11:14pm
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson was banged up yet again
The Indianapolis Colts were dealt a scare on Sunday as quarterback Anthony Richardson exited with a right shoulder injury in his side’s 23-16 win over the Tennessee Titans.
Richardson was officially ruled out early in the third quarter and replaced by Gardner Minshew after going down hurt at the end of a four-yard run.
NFL Network reported after the game that X-rays on Richardson’s shoulder came back as negative.
Richardson stayed down for several minutes before walking slowly to the injury tent, with his shoulder noticeably drooping on the right side. After spending several more minutes in the injury tent, he headed to the locker room with team medical personnel.
TwitterDue to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view thisPrivacy Options
The fourth overall pick at this year’s Draft has been banged up on multiple occasions in his rookie year, missing the final minute of Indy’s season-opening loss to Jacksonville with minor knee and ankle injuries before going into the concussion protocol after scoring two touchdowns the following week at Houston and sitting out Week Three having not cleared the protocol.
Richardson was nine of 12 with 98 yards. He also ran twice for five yards and took a sack on a backward pass. He is 20 yards rushing away from passing Hall of Famer Johnny Unitas (155 in 1956) for the franchise’s third-highest single-season rushing total by a Colts rookie quarterback.
Milano likely out for season
The Buffalo Bills suffered another huge blow to their season as star linebacker Matt Milano was carted off with a leg injury during Sunday’s defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Highlights of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills in Week Five of the NFL season
Highlights of the Jacksonville Jaguars against the Buffalo Bills in Week Five of the NFL season
Milano went down after 11 snaps in the first quarter at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after seemingly getting his leg caught in a pile of players.
NFL Network reported that Milano sustained a fractured leg while there are also fears he picked up a season-ending knee injury.
“It’s a knee and lower leg injury,” said Bills head coach Sean McDermott. “I know it’s not looking good right now, but I don’t know any details beyond that at this point.”
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell discusses the possibility of a Super Bowl being played in London and whether there will be a UK franchise in the future
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell discusses the possibility of a Super Bowl being played in London and whether there will be a UK franchise in the future
Jones goes down for Giants
New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones meanwhile exited Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins early in the fourth quarter due to a neck injury.
Jones was sacked by Miami linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel with 12:11 remaining in the game. The hit took Jones by surprise, as it came from his blind side, with his neck cocked back before he was driven to the turf.
Tyrod Taylor took over under center for the Giants, who were trailing 31-13 at the time of Jones’ departure.
Prior to exiting, Jones completed 14 of 20 passes for 119 yards while being sacked six times.
United Auto Workers members strike the General Motors Lansing Delta Assembly Plant on September 29, 2023 in Lansing, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images
DETROIT – General Motors’ stock price fell below $30 a share Thursday for the first time in more than three years amid ongoing strikes by the United Auto Workers union and a report of a potentially costly airbag recall for the automaker.
Since the UAW union’s targeted strikes began Sept. 15, shares of the Detroit automaker have fallen by more than 10%. The stock closed at $33.66 a share a day before the work stoppages began.
The most recent share decline occurred midday Thursday following The Wall Street Journal reporting GM has at least 20 million vehicles built with a potentially dangerous air-bag part that the government says should be recalled before more people are hurt or killed.
The potential recall of roughly 52 million air-bag inflators from Tennessee-based auto supplier ARC Automotive had been reported about previously, but the number of affected GM vehicles had not.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration held a public meeting Thursday on its determination that the air-bag parts are defective and should be recalled, according to the report. Automakers, including GM, have until later this year to file responses on the matter.
GM’s stock since Oct. 1, 2020
GM has recalled about 1 million vehicles due to the problem. The company reiterated Thursday that it “believes the evidence and data presented by NHTSA at this time does not provide a basis for any recall” beyond the ones the company has already done.
“Neither the affected automakers nor NHTSA, despite eight years of study and investigation, have identified a systemic design or manufacturing defect in ARC frontal airbag inflators,” the company said in an emailed statement. “If GM concludes at any time that any unrecalled ARC inflators are unsafe, the company will take appropriate action in cooperation with NHTSA.”
GM said it “will continue to work collaboratively with NHTSA, other manufacturers, and ARC to monitor and investigate the long-term performance and safety of ARC airbag inflators.”
While many Wall Street analysts have said a strike by the UAW was already priced into GM shares, the automaker’s stock has only experienced five positive trading days out of 14 sessions.
GM confirmed Thursday it had made a counteroffer to the union, marking its sixth since the start of negotiations. It comes a day after the automaker said the strike cost it $200 million in lost production during the third quarter.
“We believe we have a compelling offer that would reward our team members and allow GM to succeed and thrive into the future. We continue to stand ready and willing to negotiate in good faith 24/7 to reach an agreement,” the company said Thursday in an emailed statement.
The last time shares of GM dropped below $30 a share during intraday trading was on Oct. 2, 2020, according to FactSet.
DETROIT – General Motors secured a new $6 billion line of credit as the automaker braces for additional strikes by the United Auto Workers union.
“The facility that we announced today is a $6 billion line of credit that I think is prudent in light of some of the messages that we’ve seen from some of the UAW leadership that they intend to drag this on for months,” CFO Paul Jacobson told CNBC’s Phil LeBeau in an interview on “Halftime Report.”
The targeted strikes already cost the automaker $200 million during the third quarter, GM said Wednesday.
A GM spokesman said the $200 million strike cost is due to lost production on wholesale volume, largely due to the UAW’s initial Sept. 15 strike at GM’s midsize truck and full-size van plant in Wentzville, Missouri. The strike has since expanded to GM’s parts and distribution facilities nationwide and, as of last Friday, a crossover plant in mid-Michigan.
As a result of the strike in Missouri, GM also idled its Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas, where it builds the Cadillac XT4 SUV and the Chevrolet Malibu sedan, and laid off nearly 2,000 workers.
Both GM CEO Mary Barra as well as Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley have publicly criticized UAW President Shawn Fain and the union’s strike strategy, claiming Fain is not actually interested in reaching deals for 146,000 workers with GM, Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis.
Members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 230 and their supporters walk the picket line in front of the Chrysler Corporate Parts Division in Ontario, California, on September 26, 2023, to show solidarity for the “Big Three” autoworkers currently on strike.
Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images
“It’s clear that there is no real intent to get to an agreement,” Barra said in an emailed statement Friday night. “It is clear Shawn Fain wants to make history for himself, but it can’t be to the detriment of our represented team members and the industry.”
Fain has consistently said the union is available to negotiate 24/7 and has in turn accused the automakers of slow-walking negotiations.
GM’s newly announced line of credit will require the automaker to maintain at least $4 billion in global liquidity and $2 billion in U.S. liquidity. The terms of the credit agreement also restrict GM from mergers or sales of assets and limits on other, new debt. As of June 30, GM’s total automotive liquidity was $38.9 billion.
The credit line comes more than a month after Ford obtained a $4 billion line of credit to help it manage through “uncertainties” in the market.
United Auto Workers members strike at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant on September 15, 2023 in Wayne, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images
DETROIT – Ford Motor’s third-quarter U.S. new vehicle sales increased 7.7% compared to a year earlier, driven by increased sales of traditional pickup trucks across its lineup.
The Detroit automaker on Wednesday reported a 15.3% increase in truck sales compared to a 5.1% decline in cars and sales of SUVS that were essentially flat.
An ongoing strike by the United Auto Workers union against the Detroit automakers, including Ford, was not expected to directly impact sales during the quarter.
This is a developing story. Please check back for additional updates.
Members of the United Auto Workers union picket outside the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, on Sept. 26, 2023.
Matthew Hatcher | AFP | Getty Images
DETROIT — The United Auto Workers union is holding up negotiations with Ford Motor over future electric vehicle battery plants, Ford CEO Jim Farley said during a press briefing Friday.
“I believe we could have reached a compromise on pay and benefits, but so far the UAW is holding the deal hostage over battery plants,” he said after the UAW announced it would expand strikes to two additional assembly plants — one each for Ford and General Motors.
Farley criticized the union for its targeted strike strategy, saying he feels the actions were “premeditated” and insinuating the union was never interested in reaching a deal before a Sept. 14 deadline.
“We have felt from the very beginning, between all the lines of our comments, that the original strike was premeditated and that everything is taking way too long,” he said. “That actual events are predetermined before they happen. It’s been very frustrating.”
Farley’s public criticism of the union is uncharacteristic for Ford, which is historically viewed as the most union-friendly company of the Detroit automakers.
Farley said the company isn’t “at an impasse” with the union but warned that day “could come if this continues.”
GM CEO Mary Barra echoed much of Farley’s criticisms of Fain and the UAW’s strike strategy.
“It’s clear that there is no real intent to get to an agreement,” she said in an emailed statement Friday night. “It is clear Shawn Fain wants to make history for himself, but it can’t be to the detriment of our represented team members and the industry.”
UAW President Shawn Fain fired back at Farley, saying the CEO hasn’t been present at the bargaining table and that he’s “lying about the state of negotiations.”
“It could be because he failed to show up for bargaining this week, as he has for most of the past ten weeks. If he were there, he’d know we gave Ford a comprehensive proposal on Monday and still haven’t heard back,” Fain said in a statement Friday afternoon. “He would also know that we are far apart on core economic proposals like retirement security and post-retirement healthcare, as well as job security in this EV transition, which Farley himself says is going to cut 40 percent of our members’ jobs.”
Multibillion-dollar EV battery plants — and their thousands of expected workers — are crucial to the automotive industry’s future and uniquely positioned to have wide-ranging implications for the UAW, automakers and President Joe Biden’s push toward domestic manufacturing.
Current and former union leaders previously told CNBC that the battery plants will have to be a priority for the labor organization, regardless of whether they’re directly discussed in the national agreement, for the long-term viability of the union.
However, they’re considered a “wild card” issue in the contract negotiations. Many of the battery plants that have been announced cannot legally be included in the current talks, as they are joint venture facilities.
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain addresses picketing UAW members at a General Motors Service Parts Operations plant in Belleville, Michigan, on Sept. 26, 2023, as U.S. President Joe Biden joined the workers.
Jim Watson | Afp | Getty Images
Ford has announced four future battery plants, including three joint ventures and a wholly owned subsidiary using battery technology licensed from Chinese auto supplier CATL. Ford earlier this week paused construction on the latter plant in Marshall, Michigan, due to the union negotiations, Farley said.
“We can make Marshall a lot bigger or a lot smaller,” Farley said Friday.
GM is the only Detroit automaker with a joint venture battery plant in operation and unionized — making it the first in the country to face this particular negotiating dynamic and a landmark plant to set standards for the industry.
Farley noted that some of the battery production won’t even be covered under the timeline of the deals that are currently being negotiated. He also defended the company’s prior offers, which include more than 20% hourly wage growth, reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments, job protections and other benefits.
“If the UAW’s goal is a record contract, they have already achieved this,” Farley said. “It is grossly irresponsible to escalate these strikes and hurt thousands of families.”
The United Auto Workers is expected on Friday to announce additional work stoppages at Detroit’s Big Three carmakers, expanding a strike that has already shuttered assembly plants, parts distribution centers and other facilities across more than 20 states.
UAW President Shawn Fain is scheduled to appear in a broadcast on Facebook at 10 a.m. to give an update on the status of labor negotiations with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis (the parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, along with a number of foreign brands).
The UAW launched its “stand-up strike” — a rhetorical nod to the “sit-down” strike by GM workers in Flint, Michigan, in the 1930s — on September 15 when nearly 13,000 autoworkers halted work at Big Three assembly plants Michigan, Missouri and Ohio. A week later, another 5,600 workers at 38 GM and Stellantis-owned parts distribution centers in 20 states walked off the job. Ford was spared, with Fain saying the sides were making headway on wage, job security and other issues.
The UAW’s demands include a 36% pay increase across a four-year contract, annual cost-of-living adjustments, pension benefits for all employees, greater job security, restrictions on the use of temporary workers and a four-day work week. Along with a wage hike, the union also wants the automakers to eliminate a two-tiered wage system adopted at the companies after the 2008 financial crisis.
For their part, the automakers say they have made reasonable counteroffers, while arguing that the UAW’s wage and other demands would make it hard to compete with other car manufacturers.
Union leaders counter that the Big Three reaped hefty profits as car prices jumped during the pandemic, while workers failed to enjoy the same benefits.
The UAW striking in weekly waves allows the union to “inflict significant disruption while minimizing the number of workers not receiving paychecks,” Benjamin Salisbury, an analyst at Height Capital Markets, said in a report.
The UAW’s next targets are likely to include plants that make some of the Big Three’s most profitable vehicles, such as the Chevrolet Silverado and Ram pickup trucks, according to experts.
“Of note, the auto companies produce trucks at multiple factories,” Salisbury said. “Therefore the union may select only a few facilities to up the ante but continue work at others to serve as leverage if negotiations worsen.”
Striking workers are receiving pay through an $825 million fund set up by the UAW.
Khristopher J. Brooks is a reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering business, consumer and financial stories that range from economic inequality and housing issues to bankruptcies and the business of sports.
