UAW Workers Approve Contract Extension with Mitsubishi Motors North America; Membership at Normal, Ill., Plant Ratifies 31-Month Extension

NORMAL, Ill.--Aug. 2, 20058, 2005--Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) announced this evening that members of United Auto Workers Local 2488 voted today to approve a new contract agreement.

Union members ratified the 31-month modified-contract extension that runs through March 27, 2008 during an afternoon briefing and balloting at Illinois State University's Bone Student Center.

The contract extension sends a strong message about how the UAW and MMNA are working together to position the company for long-term success, said President and Chief Executive Officer Rich Gilligan.

"Our partnership with the UAW is critical to our competitiveness, and we are very pleased that the union membership has approved this extension," Gilligan said. "We took a very practical approach to these negotiations, recognizing that people are our best resource in executing MMNA's revitalization plan."

Jerry Berwanger, MMNA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Manufacturing Division, praised the efforts of bargaining teams in reaching an agreement that is fair and beneficial to both the UAW and Mitsubishi Motors North America overall.

"This new agreement will help guarantee a climate of economic certainty for our employees, our plant, and our community, and allow us to continue focusing on building world-class quality vehicles for our customers," Berwanger said. "It's an exciting time to be at MMNA and in this business. We're proud to have the support of our workers."

The fourth-generation, all-new Eclipse, which is assembled at the Normal plant, has energized the entire Mitsubishi lineup since going on sale in late May. The new Eclipse is selling at 65 percent beyond projections and closed its best month this year in July, up 9 percent over June sales and up 140 percent year over year. Retail sales across the product line in July topped 10,000 units for the first time since August 2004, with the Normal-built Galant continuing to be the volume leader.

The momentum will continue this fall when the Raider pickup truck - assembled by DaimlerChrysler in Warren, Mich. - goes on sale, followed next spring by the launch of the all-new Eclipse Spyder convertible, which is assembled in Normal. Three additional new models will be rolled out over the next 18 months.

Mitsubishi Motors North America, Inc., (MMNA) is responsible for all manufacturing, finance, sales, marketing, research and development operations of the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in the United States. Mitsubishi Motors sells coupes, convertibles, sedans and sport utility vehicles through a network of approximately 570 dealers. For more information, contact the Mitsubishi Motors News Bureau at (888) 560-6672 or visit http://media.mitsubishicars.com.