"General Motors was rated as the 19th worst polluter on the Political Economy Research Institute's (PERI) Toxic 100 index. PERI is an “independent unit of the University of Massachusetts,” that promotes environmental sustainability and human rights through research. The index is based on 2007 EPA Toxics Release Inventory data. PERI's Toxic 100 index ranks the nation's largest companies based on the quantity of their emissions, relative toxicity of chemicals emitted, and proximity to population centers, among other criteria."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors was rated as the 19th worst polluter on the Political Economy Research Institute's (PERI) Toxic 100 index. PERI is an “independent unit of the University of Massachusetts,” that promotes environmental sustainability and human rights through research. The index is based on 2007 EPA Toxics Release Inventory data. PERI's Toxic 100 index ranks the nation's largest companies based on the quantity of their emissions, relative toxicity of chemicals emitted, and proximity to population centers, among other criteria."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors has been criticized by environmentalists for its promotion of the HummerH2 SUV, which resembles the U.S. military's Humvee vehicles. The HummerH2, which gets only 13 miles per gallon, does not meet U.S. regulations on fuel economy at 100 pounds above the cutoff point. GM has, for many years, "claimed that federal fuel economy regulations don't work and should not be raised." Sierra Club created a satirical web site called HummerDinger which calls attention to the inefficiency of GM's Hummer."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors has been criticized by environmentalists for its promotion of the HummerH2 SUV, which resembles the U.S. military's Humvee vehicles. The HummerH2, which gets only 13 miles per gallon, does not meet U.S. regulations on fuel economy at 100 pounds above the cutoff point. GM has, for many years, "claimed that federal fuel economy regulations don't work and should not be raised." Sierra Club created a satirical web site called HummerDinger which calls attention to the inefficiency of GM's Hummer."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"The state of California is seeking monetary compensation for the environmental damages caused by tailpipe emissions. The State’s Attorney General filed a lawsuit against General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chrysler, and Nissan for damaging the state’s weather, economy, and public health. Attorney General Bill Lockyer, filing the suit, stated, “Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and automakers have refused to act. It is time to hold these companies responsible for their contribution to this crisis.”"

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"The state of California is seeking monetary compensation for the environmental damages caused by tailpipe emissions. The State’s Attorney General filed a lawsuit against General Motors, Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chrysler, and Nissan for damaging the state’s weather, economy, and public health. Attorney General Bill Lockyer, filing the suit, stated, “Vehicle emissions are the single most rapidly growing source of the carbon emissions contributing to global warming, yet the federal government and automakers have refused to act. It is time to hold these companies responsible for their contribution to this crisis.”"

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"As part of a campaign to discredit evidence of the threats posed by global climate change, the conservative nonprofit think tank Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) released two television ads defending carbon as a benign part of the natural environment. The ads end with the tagline "Carbon dioxide: they call it pollution; we call it life," and suggest that the effects of global warming are simply concocted by alarmists. CEI is funded by companies including ExxonMobil, Ford, and General Motors."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"A 2006 Ceres (formerly the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) report titled "Corporate Governance and Climate Change: Making the Connection," commissioned by Investor Responsibility Resource Center, details a comprehensive measurement of how 100 leading global companies are responding to global warming. Through an evaluation of board oversight, management performance, public disclosure, emissions accounting, and strategic performance, to address climate change, the companies were evaluated on a 0 to 100 scale. General Motors scored a total of 52 points."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy(ACEEE), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering nationwide energy efficiency, listed the GMC Yukon XL K2500 and the Chevrolet Suburban K2500 on their 2005 “Meanest Vehicles” list, a ranking of the twelve most polluting vehicles of the year. ACEEE ranks vehicles based on tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and the emissions of gases that cause global warming."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy(ACEEE), a nonprofit dedicated to fostering nationwide energy efficiency, listed the GMC Yukon XL K2500 and the Chevrolet Suburban K2500 on their 2005 “Meanest Vehicles” list, a ranking of the twelve most polluting vehicles of the year. ACEEE ranks vehicles based on tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and the emissions of gases that cause global warming."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors Corp. received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign 2008 Corporate Equality Index which rates large corporations on policies that affect their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. The HRC Corporate Equality Index rates companies on a scale of 0 to 100 percent."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors received a "C" grade on the 2007 NAACP Economic Reciprocity Initiative report. The grade reflects a measurement of corporate America's commitment to the African American citizenry and other people of color. Companies were surveyed for their activity in employment, vendor development and contracting, advertising and marketing, dealerships and philanthropy."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors received a "C" grade on the 2007 NAACP Economic Reciprocity Initiative report. The grade reflects a measurement of corporate America's commitment to the African American citizenry and other people of color. Companies were surveyed for their activity in employment, vendor development and contracting, advertising and marketing, dealerships and philanthropy."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"GM was named the fourth worst Greenwasher in America in a 2005 report by The Green Life. Greenwashing encompasses deceptive image advertisement and misleading product labels, as well as improper applications of terms and a range of public relations tactics, including sponsorship of seemingly eco-friendly events.

GM’s green-themed advertisements depict the company’s “next generation” of hybrid and hydrogen vehicles. However, vehicle for vehicle, GM today is the auto-industry’s worst emitter of smog-forming pollutants, and ranks only ahead of Ford in producing heat-trapping emissions. Judging from their maturation to date, the vehicles of the future are either too disappointing or too distant to distinguish themselves from their predecessors. The ads are backed by GM’s $3 billion advertising budget, the largest in the U.S. GM should ensure the accuracy of its environmental claims by stating only what it knows to be true, and reduce its focus on hydrogen to avoid creating unrealistic expectations."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors continued its long tradition of opposing fuel economy legislation through 2007, when it joined with other major auto manufacturers to oppose an energy bill that would require, among other changes, an increase of fuel economy standards from 25 to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The companies continue to fight against raising fuel economy standards in the United States, despite having already agreed to meet tougher standards in Europe and Japan."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In the 2006 election cycle, General Motors employees gave $727,140 in total campaign contributions, 70 percent of which was given to Republican candidates. Since 1990, GM has donated more than $9.12 million in campaign finance of federal candidates. The Center for Responsive Politics named GM one of the all-time top donors. In addition, GM spent $7.8 million on lobbying expenditures in 2005."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In March 2002 14 black, Hispanic and American Indian workers at two General Motors plants filed a $10 million discrimination lawsuit against the company claiming they were exposed to treatment such as supervisors making racial slurs, the company discriminating in hiring, nooses being hung by workstations and a co-worker dressing up in Ku Klux Klan garb. GM said that the worker was suspended for 30 days without pay and after the incident the company went over its nondiscrimination and diversity policies with all workers at the plant. GM also said some incidents cited in the suit did not occur."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In September 2001, General Motors paid $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of 16 workers alleging that the company violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act by allowing a hostile workplace. As part of the settlement, GM must also report any complaints of sexual or racial harassment or retaliation to the EEOC and how the company handled the complaints. GM did not admit liability through the settlement."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In August 2001, General Motors paid $10 million to the Smithsonian Institution to sponsor an exhibition at a newly-refurbished Hall of Transportation. According to the Smithsonian, the exhibition is designed to tell stories of how transportation changed America. The deal came under attack from consumer advocate Ralph Nader who said, "To let GM pay for, be associated with and influential over a transportation exhibit, given its decades long record of criminal convictions, buying up and displacing mass transit systems, producing unsafe and polluting cars, is to confess to a complete abdication of any standards of museum integrity and independence.""

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In early February 2009 General Motors (GM) announced it would be offering buyouts to its hourly employees which included $20,000 in cash and a $25,000 car voucher. 22,000 hourly employees are eligible for the buyout, as is any union employee. The buyouts are part of cost-cutting measures by GM in an effort to regain viability."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"As a means to remedy a lackluster financial year, General Motors asked the United Auto Workers (UAW) to concede to cut benefits that cover 750,000 American workers. According to the Washington Post, the UAW has requested court approval for this pending agreement. The concessions are not expected to stop there, as competing automakers commonly ask for matched agreements with regard to union bargaining. GM expects to save $3 billion with the cuts."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors (GM) announced plans to close four plants that produce SUVs and trucks for the nation's largest automobile manufacturer. CEO Rick Wagoner cites rising gas prices causing people to want more fuel efficient vehicles as the reason for the plant closures, which will occur over the next two years. In addition, GM announced it has approved the production of the Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid that can get up to 40 miles per gallon without the use of gasoline. The Volt is expected to be in showrooms by 2010."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"Out of eight major car manufacturers, General Motors ranked as the second worst polluter, just above DaimlerChrysler, according to a Union of Concerned Scientists analysis. This is an improvement over previous years when GM ranked as the worst polluter. GM produces the most cars which get 15 MPG or worse in city driving."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors' Central Foundry Division plant has been placed on the EPA's Superfund National Priority List, a listing of national hazardous waste sites the that EPA has determined pose a significant threat to human health. The GM site, located in St. Lawrence County, NY, contains approximately 850,000 cubic yards of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated material. The EPA determined that sediment from two nearby rivers, the St. Lawrence and Raquette, have been contaminated with PCBs, as well as soil and sediment on the local St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. The EPA states: "Individuals ingesting or touching contaminated surface water, groundwater, soil, sludges, or sediments potentially are at risk." Because of the local Mohawk Reservation consumption of fish or wildlife from contaminated areas is of special concern and fishing is restricted by the State Health Department and the Indian Reservation Administration."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors' Central Foundry Division plant has been placed on the EPA's Superfund National Priority List, a listing of national hazardous waste sites the that EPA has determined pose a significant threat to human health. The GM site, located in St. Lawrence County, NY, contains approximately 850,000 cubic yards of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)-contaminated material. The EPA determined that sediment from two nearby rivers, the St. Lawrence and Raquette, have been contaminated with PCBs, as well as soil and sediment on the local St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. The EPA states: "Individuals ingesting or touching contaminated surface water, groundwater, soil, sludges, or sediments potentially are at risk." Because of the local Mohawk Reservation consumption of fish or wildlife from contaminated areas is of special concern and fishing is restricted by the State Health Department and the Indian Reservation Administration."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"Environmental Defense’s report entitled “Global Warming on the Road” sheds light on the role of automobiles in augmenting the problem of global warming. Automobiles emit roughly 10 percent of global CO2 emissions from fossil fuels, the main form of greenhouse gas pollution. In 2004, CO2 emissions (MMTc), from the “Big Three”- GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler- were comparable to that from the nation’s 11 top electric companies. In that same year, GM’s products emitted 99 MMTc, which accounts for 31 percent of MMTc emitted by all automobile makers."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"A 2006 Ceres (formerly the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Economies) report titled "Corporate Governance and Climate Change: Making the Connection," commissioned by Investor Responsibility Resource Center, details a comprehensive measurement of how 100 leading global companies are responding to global warming. Through an evaluation of board oversight, management performance, public disclosure, emissions accounting, and strategic performance, to address climate change, the companies were evaluated on a 0 to 100 scale. General Motors scored a total of 52 points."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"A report published by Ceres, a "national network of investors, environmental organizations and other public interest groups" confronting environmental issues, has found that GM is not doing as much as it can to improve the fuel economy of its vehicles. Though the fuel economy of some of its vehicles has improved in the last 10 years, the efficiency of the entire fleet hasn't changed. This is largely due to the increase of SUVs, trucks, and minivans that guzzle fuel accounting for a much larger percentage of the company's vehicles. In addition, GM has long praised CERES for being knowledgeable and reasonable about the automobile industry."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a lobbying group of which GM is an important member, filed a lawsuit against two state agencies in Oregon to contest the state’s proposed adoption of the Clean Cars program. The industry-opposed program includes measures to raise emissions standards to levels that would significantly reduce greenhouse gas pollution in Oregon."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, a lobbying group of which GM is an important member, filed a lawsuit against two state agencies in Oregon to contest the state’s proposed adoption of the Clean Cars program. The industry-opposed program includes measures to raise emissions standards to levels that would significantly reduce greenhouse gas pollution in Oregon."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

A work truck deserves less stringent gas standards. Plush passenger vehicles like SUVs are abusing the law.

"General Motors CEO, Rick Wagoner, stated in June 2001 that the company would oppose any efforts to increase fuel-efficiency standards in the U.S. GM also claimed it will oppose any efforts to tighten the definition of which vehicles can be labeled 'light trucks'. Light trucks require less stringent gas-mileage standards than cars."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"Even after receiving a $14 billion bailout from the government, Chrysler and General Motors are likely to continue spending millions of dollars in their campaign against states like California that want to increase fuel economy standards. California Attorney General Jerry Brown called the situation ironic: by continuing to oppose higher standards, Chrysler and GM would be using taxpayer money from the bailout to sue the taxpayers. Brown argued that the reason the companies needed a bailout in the first place was because they were not satisfying the increasing demand for fuel-sipping vehicles."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"According to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the federal agency responsible for regulating securities laws, General Motors’ CEO G. Richard Wagoner, made $10,191,153 in 2006. However, the AFL-CIO, one of the nation’s preeminent labor organizations, calculates that Wagoner’s actual compensation amounted to $11,041,656."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors Corp. received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign 2008 Corporate Equality Index which rates large corporations on policies that affect their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. The HRC Corporate Equality Index rates companies on a scale of 0 to 100 percent."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors received a "C" grade on the 2007 NAACP Economic Reciprocity Initiative report. The grade reflects a measurement of corporate America's commitment to the African American citizenry and other people of color. Companies were surveyed for their activity in employment, vendor development and contracting, advertising and marketing, dealerships and philanthropy."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"General Motors received a "C" grade on the 2007 NAACP Economic Reciprocity Initiative report. The grade reflects a measurement of corporate America's commitment to the African American citizenry and other people of color. Companies were surveyed for their activity in employment, vendor development and contracting, advertising and marketing, dealerships and philanthropy."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"GM was named the fourth worst Greenwasher in America in a 2005 report by The Green Life. Greenwashing encompasses deceptive image advertisement and misleading product labels, as well as improper applications of terms and a range of public relations tactics, including sponsorship of seemingly eco-friendly events.

GM’s green-themed advertisements depict the company’s “next generation” of hybrid and hydrogen vehicles. However, vehicle for vehicle, GM today is the auto-industry’s worst emitter of smog-forming pollutants, and ranks only ahead of Ford in producing heat-trapping emissions. Judging from their maturation to date, the vehicles of the future are either too disappointing or too distant to distinguish themselves from their predecessors. The ads are backed by GM’s $3 billion advertising budget, the largest in the U.S. GM should ensure the accuracy of its environmental claims by stating only what it knows to be true, and reduce its focus on hydrogen to avoid creating unrealistic expectations."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In November 2002, CorpWatch gave General Motors a Greenwash Award for its "astoundingly insensitive 'Introducing the Saturn VUE'" ad which ran in the March 11, 2002 edition of Newsweek. The ad, which featured an SUV on a melting polar ice floe in the company of wildlife, appeared to CorpWatch as an ironic disregard for the affects of fossil fuel on global warming."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In November 2002, CorpWatch gave General Motors a Greenwash Award for its "astoundingly insensitive 'Introducing the Saturn VUE'" ad which ran in the March 11, 2002 edition of Newsweek. The ad, which featured an SUV on a melting polar ice floe in the company of wildlife, appeared to CorpWatch as an ironic disregard for the affects of fossil fuel on global warming."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"According to the Social Investment Research Analyst Network (SIRAN), ten years after the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission recommended disclosure of diversity data as a way to remove barriers and promote women and minority advancement, most US companies still fail to fully disclose EEO data to the public. General Motors is listed as one of the companies that does not provide full public disclosure. The company only provides partial disclosure."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"According to the Social Investment Research Analyst Network (SIRAN), ten years after the Federal Glass Ceiling Commission recommended disclosure of diversity data as a way to remove barriers and promote women and minority advancement, most US companies still fail to fully disclose EEO data to the public. General Motors is listed as one of the companies that does not provide full public disclosure. The company only provides partial disclosure."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In March 2002 14 black, Hispanic and American Indian workers at two General Motors plants filed a $10 million discrimination lawsuit against the company claiming they were exposed to treatment such as supervisors making racial slurs, the company discriminating in hiring, nooses being hung by workstations and a co-worker dressing up in Ku Klux Klan garb. GM said that the worker was suspended for 30 days without pay and after the incident the company went over its nondiscrimination and diversity policies with all workers at the plant. GM also said some incidents cited in the suit did not occur."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In September 2001, General Motors paid $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of 16 workers alleging that the company violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act by allowing a hostile workplace. As part of the settlement, GM must also report any complaints of sexual or racial harassment or retaliation to the EEOC and how the company handled the complaints. GM did not admit liability through the settlement."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In September 2001, General Motors paid $1.25 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on behalf of 16 workers alleging that the company violated the 1964 Civil Rights Act by allowing a hostile workplace. As part of the settlement, GM must also report any complaints of sexual or racial harassment or retaliation to the EEOC and how the company handled the complaints. GM did not admit liability through the settlement."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In November 2003, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of residents of the state of Florida. The suit alleged that between 1999 and November 2003, General Motors sold over 800,000 vehicles with defective engines and excessively low mileage, excessive exhaust emissions and such loud engine clatter (piston slap) that they were unable to effectively use their vehicles and can certainly not sell or trade them for fair value."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In November 2003, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of residents of the state of Florida. The suit alleged that between 1999 and November 2003, General Motors sold over 800,000 vehicles with defective engines and excessively low mileage, excessive exhaust emissions and such loud engine clatter (piston slap) that they were unable to effectively use their vehicles and can certainly not sell or trade them for fair value."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"In March 2004, General Motors acknowledged that it planned to outsource more white-collar manufacturing jobs to people in Canada and India to cut labor costs."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"Since 1993, General Motors has laid off more than 70,000 workers and now ranks as the wealthiest U.S. corporation with more than $168 billion in annual revenues. According to Global Exchange, an international human rights organization,

GM has cut production costs by relocating many of its manufacturing operations overseas."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233

"After a drawn-out appeals process, the Khulumani Support Group has won the right to have its case against more than 20 western companies heard in New York district court. The Khulumani Group originally brought suit in the name of thousands of survivors and victims of the South African apartheid regime, claiming in 2002 that not only had the accused companies profited from the apartheid system, but had been directly involved in propping up the regime. The New York circuit court of appeal overturned a lower court ruling that dismissed the case, meaning that some of the most profitable companies in the world will have to confront allegations that they have been complicit in horrendous violations of human rights. Among the defendants are banking powerhouses Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase, automakers Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and General Motors, oil companies BP, ExxonMobil, Shell Petroleum, Chevron and finally, technology giant IBM."

Quoting CoopAmerica http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/responsibleshopper/company.cfm?id=233