Tell the President: Stand up for Autoworkers

by James Parks, Apr 21, 2009

The UAW is calling on all working people to stand up for active and retired U.S. autoworkers. The Obama administration has established tight deadlines for the restructuring of Chrysler and General Motors (GM). For the federal government to provide additional assistance to the automakers, the restructuring of Chrysler must be completed by the end of April, and the General Motors restructuring must be completed by the end of May.

The Chrysler and GM workers need President Obama and his auto task force to stand up for the interests of workers and retirees in these restructuring negotiations.

You can call President Obama at 202-456-1414, or send him an e-mail at: www.whitehouse.gov/contact. The UAW urges allies to tell him that workers and retirees must be treated in a fair and equitable manner in any restructuring plans.

The UAW is actively involved in the complex restructuring negotiations, which involve the Obama auto task force, Chrysler and GM management, Fiat, bondholders and secured lenders, dealers, parts suppliers and other stakeholders. These negotiations will have a major impact on wages and benefits for active and retired UAW members.

In January, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger warned that workers alone cannot save the nation’s auto industry. All stakeholders have to participate, including management, board members, dealers, suppliers, secured and unsecured creditors, he said.

Speaking before the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, Gettelfinger said any attempt to single out workers to bear the brunt of the changes needed within the auto industry will fail because no one group can solve the problem alone.

Our contracts with Chrysler, Ford and GM represent only 10 percent of the cost of assembling a vehicle. But most days, it seems like we get 110 percent of the attention.

Tthe domestic auto industry is not in trouble because of union members or union contracts, the UAW leader said:

The problem is not a lack of quality, or a failure to produce fuel-efficient vehicles. The real problem is the most severe economic recession in decades and a global credit crisis that has dried up funding for businesses and consumers.

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