G.M. And Chrysler are both ending job banks which allowed laid-off workers to continue to collect a large portion of their pay. The United Auto Workers union, which represents workers at both companies, agreed to ending the program as well as several other concessions in order to help mitigate the firms' mounting losses and financial woes. Workers currently in GM's job bank will be laid-off as a result, but they will be eligible to collect unemployment benefits instead. Despite the announcements from both G.M. And Chrysler, Ford has not indicated it too will be ending its job bank.
See "2 Carmakers Are Closing Jobs Banks", Nick Bunkley, The New York Times, January 28, 2009