"While announcing it will offer 42,000 of its 118,000 U.S. white-collar retirees a lump-sum of cash if they agree to stop taking monthly benefits, GM will continue to look at ways of reducing its balance sheet, according to company officials.... [A company spokesman] would not directly say what the Detroit-based automaker's future plans are for lowering pension obligations, but said they were 'a significant topic of discussion' during last year's contract negotiations with the union.... The current four-year contract between the UAW and GM will expire in 2015."  MORE >>