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By GARY HABER
The News Journal
06/15/2006
Unless you drive a General Motors car or truck onto the grounds of GM's Boxwood Road plant near Newport, be prepared for a long walk.
Starting July 10, employees and visitors driving non-GM vehicles will be required to park at the back of the company's West Lot, the farthest lot from the building. The plant's two closer lots will be restricted to drivers of GM models or brands in which GM has an equity stake, such as Isuzu and Saab.
"The explanation behind this is to reward employees for buying and driving our products," Alice Petitt, communications manager for the plant, said. She said United Auto Workers Local 435 agreed to the new policy, but union officials were unavailable for comment.
Petitt said GM gives plants the option of restricting non-GM vehicles to designated parking areas. She said "a majority" of the plant's 1,800 workers drive GM cars, but did not know how many.
Tom Haws, a GM retiree, said he likes the idea.
"We tried to do that years ago when they first started driving Toyotas and Hondas to work," said Haws, who retired in 2000. "You were almost assaulted if you did."
The Boxwood Road plant won't be the first GM facility to banish other automakers' vehicles to the back of the parking lot. According to published reports, a similar rule went into effect in April at GM's Arlington, Texas, plant, and some DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Co. plants restrict where drivers of competing brands can park. Handicapped people are exempted from the rule.
The News Journal
06/15/2006
Unless you drive a General Motors car or truck onto the grounds of GM's Boxwood Road plant near Newport, be prepared for a long walk.
Starting July 10, employees and visitors driving non-GM vehicles will be required to park at the back of the company's West Lot, the farthest lot from the building. The plant's two closer lots will be restricted to drivers of GM models or brands in which GM has an equity stake, such as Isuzu and Saab.
"The explanation behind this is to reward employees for buying and driving our products," Alice Petitt, communications manager for the plant, said. She said United Auto Workers Local 435 agreed to the new policy, but union officials were unavailable for comment.
Petitt said GM gives plants the option of restricting non-GM vehicles to designated parking areas. She said "a majority" of the plant's 1,800 workers drive GM cars, but did not know how many.
Tom Haws, a GM retiree, said he likes the idea.
"We tried to do that years ago when they first started driving Toyotas and Hondas to work," said Haws, who retired in 2000. "You were almost assaulted if you did."
The Boxwood Road plant won't be the first GM facility to banish other automakers' vehicles to the back of the parking lot. According to published reports, a similar rule went into effect in April at GM's Arlington, Texas, plant, and some DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Co. plants restrict where drivers of competing brands can park. Handicapped people are exempted from the rule.
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