, Columnist
General Motors Declares Corporate War on Chrysler
The Detroit giant says the timing of its racketeering lawsuit is coincidental but nothing about this feels haphazard, with Fiat trying to merge with Peugeot.
Driving off road?
Photographer: Ty Wright/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
The racketeering lawsuit brought by General Motors Co. against cross-town rival Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV is a legal bombshell for the U.S. car industry.
GM’s broadside lays out in forensic detail how Fiat allegedly conspired over many years to funnel payments to United Auto Workers’ officials, corrupt the collective bargaining process on wages and thus secure a competitive advantage. In essence, it’s trying to rewrite the American auto industry’s past decade of history, which saw both GM and Chrysler bounce back dramatically from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.