In the market: PETA knocks Chrysler for leather shoe requirement

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is protesting a requirement by Chrysler that factory workers must wear leather shoes or face being sent home without pay.

“I hope that you will retract this memo immediately and allow workers to wear shoes or boots made from any of the rugged, safe leather alternatives that exist today,” PETA corporate affairs director Matt Prescott said in a letter to Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli that was distributed to the media.

Chrysler spokesman Mike Palese said a recent memo was posted at the Los Angeles parts depot to remind workers to wear appropriate footwear after a manager noticed people wearing canvas shoes.

The standard calls for footwear with leather uppers and slip-resistant soles.

“It is a safety issue,” he said. “We were just rearticulating that, in order to get the folks working there moving in the right direction for their own benefit,” he added.

Scion most reliable, Consumer Reports says

Toyota Motor Co.’s Scion brand tops the list of most reliable cars in Consumer Reports’ annual vehicle reliability study, as Asian automakers continue to fill the top of the magazine’s rankings.

The study surveyed more than 1.4 million Consumer Reports subscribers in the spring, covering model years 1999 to 2008.

The results show Scion vehicles as the most reliable, followed by Acura, Honda, Toyota and Lexus.

Consumer Reports was tough on domestic brands. The nonprofit says Land Rover ranked least reliable, followed by Saturn, Chrysler, Cadillac and Dodge.

Ford Motor Co.’s brands are ranked most reliable among the U.S. automakers.