DETROIT—Heading into contract negotiations with the UAW, GM and Ford are considering asking to create a new tier of lower-paid union workers in their U.S. factories. This new pay rate for some lower-skilled jobs would help the car manufacturers lower labor costs as they compete with Asian and European rivals.

DETROIT—General Motors workers received a shot of good news this month: Eligible hourly employees will get profit-sharing checks of up to $9,000, a record high for GM.

DETROIT—For the first time since perhaps 1937, Ford Motor Co. employs more hourly American workers at its factories than General Motors.

INGERSOLL, ON—GM will invest more than $450 million at its assembly plant here, which makes the Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain crossover utility vehicles. The investment would secure about 3,000 jobs in the province.

ORION, MI—GM is planning to build the Chevrolet Bolt, a $30,000 electric car, at its small-car assembly plant here.

WASHINGTON—The Ontario government has sold its final 36.7 million shares of General Motors Co. it received as part of Canada’s $10 billion government bailout of the Detroit automaker.

After revamping its transmission production line, GM improved workflows, reduced changeover time, and cut costs.

DETROIT—A massive snowstorm forced many Ford, GM and FCA assembly plants in Michigan to cancel operations for part of Monday because many employees were unable get to work.

DETROIT—The weak and volatile Russian ruble has forced General Motors to suspend production at its St. Petersburg, Russia, assembly plant from mid-March until mid-May.

OTTAWA—The Ontario government urged General Motors and Unifor Wednesday to “fast track” collective bargaining in a bid to end uncertainty over the future of the automaker’s Oshawa assembly plants and its 3,350 hourly employees.