DODGING THE BULLET

Make-or-break week for GM

05-27-2009 | AFP

The government has said that without changes the Detroit automaker will have to file for bankruptcy by next Monday

Panama Star MILWAUKEE. The clock is ticking on a June 1 deadline for General Motors Corp. to restructure, and this make-or-break week is expected to bring more plant closures, employee concessions and other last-minute efforts.

Without changes, the federal government has said, the Detroit-based automaker will have to file for bankruptcy protection by next Monday.

The company has been trying to overhaul its business so it can keep receiving federal money to stay afloat as it deals with soaring costs and slumping sales. On Friday, GM borrowed $4 billion more from the federal government on top of the $15.4 billion it has already received.

In exchange, the Obama administration has demanded moves that include reducing debt, cutting labor costs and shedding dealerships, brands and excess factories.

This week, GM's efforts to cut labor costs continued with the Canadian Auto Workers union announcing its members approved wage reductions and other concessions on Monday.

The company's U.S. workers were expected to vote on their own concessions later this week on a deal reached among the United Auto Workers, GM and the federal government last week.

Details of that agreement, which most likely includes changes to paying for retiree health care, have not been released yet. Plant-level union officials were expected to be briefed on the agreement Tuesday morning in Detroit.

GM was also expected to announce the closing of 14 more plants as part of its previously announced effort to close 16 factories to trim production and cut costs. The moves will lay off 21,000 workers. So far the company has announced two plants it plans to close: an engine plant in Massena, N.Y., and a parts stamping plant near Grand Rapids, Mich.

Union concessions are expected to ease one of GM's biggest problems — labor costs — but even if the union approves those, there's still the issue of debt. The company's unsecured bondholders have resisted an offer to take a 10 percent stake in the company to wipe out $27 billion in debt. If that's approved, it may keep the company out of bankruptcy. But analysts say that's unlikely because bondholders have argued the proposal is too small a stake for the amount they are owed. Given the amount of money at stake, it's not likely the bondholders will approve it, said Erich Merkle, an independent auto industry analyst in Grand Rapids, Mich. The bond exchange offer expires Tuesday.