The United States auto market may be showing signs of a forthcoming turnaround, but General Motors announced this week that it will need to shed another 1,000 white collar workers. The news comes as the Detroit automaker fell short of its target for employee buyout and early retirement packages.

According to The Detroit News, GM plans to finish the latest round of white collar layoffs by the end of the year, with most coming by October 1. The layoffs are expected to primarily take place in Detroit, Warren, Pontiac and Milford. By year’s end, GM will have shed 6,000 white collar employees.

Workers unlucky enough to receive a pink slip will be eligible for up to six months pay and benefits. Executives can receive up to 12 months of coverage. Employees can also opt for an early retirement package.

GM also indicated that more hourly worker layoffs could be on the way, but no announcement has been made as of yet.

As part of the phase-out of its Pontiac brand, General Motors Corp. announced today it will stop building the compact Vibe crossover wagon in August. The Pontiac Vibe is assembled at a plant jointly owned by GM and Toyota Motor Corp. in Fremont, Calif.
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Local Internet Entrepreneur Rick Perry (not to be confused with Texas governor) has completed his latest acquisition, which is www.BonnevilleForum.com.

The site has been under lockdown for more then 2 months, due to disruptions between members and staff. The purchase brings the current member count at FM to just over 183,000 users, which is larger then the population of the city of Oakville.

The forum is expected to prosper and continue to provide historical background information on the Pontiac Bonneville, which is a mid-size vehicle produced by Pontiac between 1957 and 2005.

The previous staff and past troublemakers are most likely not expecting to deal with such a seasoned forum veteran as Mr. Perry in their quest to disrupt the site.

Check out www.BonnevilleForum.com if you own one!