UAW President Ron Gettelfinger Explains Why Senate GOP Killed Car Bailout

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/12/AR20081212035...

United Auto Workers President Ronald A. Gettelfinger lashed out against Senate Republicans a day after a congressional compromise on an auto industry bailout failed, accusing the lawmakers of trying to "pierce the heart of organized labor."

Gettelfinger, at a news conference yesterday in Detroit, welcomed a statement from the White House that said the administration was willing to use funds targeted for bailing out the financial system to help the autoworkers. But he repeated his insistence that bankruptcy isn't an option, saying failure at any one automaker would force firms across the industry to collapse.

The Republican Senate proposal sought to cut UAW wages, bringing them in line -- or at "parity" -- with what workers earn at foreign-owned, non-unionized plants in the United States. A failure in Congress to reach an agreement on the wage-cut proposal Thursday night doomed the $14 billion industry rescue package.

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Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Gettelfinger
• uaw
• car
• bailout
• autoworkers
• senate
• republican

[5uper5tring]

average UAW pay 32.32/hr plus tremendous benefits. I worked my ass of in school to get a cell bio degree, incurred debt while earning no income for 4 years and I may never get this level of compensation. These people have no degree and expect an upper middle class income in an area with a low cost of living. No sympathy from me, they don't deserve that much money and their bloated salaries helped to make US cars overpriced pieces of crap.

[rstryker27]

" Unlike all you little people who have lost their jobs in this recession , we at the UAW are sacred. We must have all of our jobs , huge pensions , big ass wages , excessive vacation time and Cadillac insurance plans protected. The tax payers owe us because we exist. If the Democrat controlled Congress doesn't give us a huge taxpayer funded loan that we never have to pay back , it's all the Republicans fault." Is this man even sane?

[patsaxon]

In order to compete with China, AUW needs to consider a dramaitic pay cut down below minimum wage. Many of us non union workes are now being forced to work for $7.25 an hour, and we loose our assembly jobs to China everyday. It is time that China also take over the AUW jobs and make the AUW suffer along with us in this terrible economy. I hope that the big three out sources to China!

[597914]

@wilhelm1974 shows you how much you know. Sweepers are third party contact for the past 5 yrs. Making less than $14 hr. All these UAW haters refuse to know or learn the truth about the actual impact our pay and benefits are. UAW has made several concession to wages ($14.35 for new hires) benefits - pior to bankruptcy. those concessions and the dedicated workforce is the reason US auto co's are making a comback. FYI: this aint your daddy's UAW anymore.

[mildot986]

10 UAW members combined don't have the IQ of a head of lettuce. UAW members are human waste. Actually human waste has a use, UAW members don't. Ghetto fucker is an idiot.

[AJstar9]

@drg1301 im glad it failed im a uaw at ford and we are doing great

[AJstar9]

@5uper5tring looks like you choose the wrong job

[AJstar9]

@marceads dont need a degree i have a union! i work for ford uaw and we are doing great.

[wilhelm1974]

@marceads did you know that gettlefinger is on Obamas advisor staff for finance reform? soooooo laughable....UAW threw millions to Obamas campaign too, hes gonna do whats best for them while Detroit is rotting...

[wilhelm1974]

@5uper5tring exactly...why should a janitor make 35.00 bux per hour sweeping a floor at GM and retire with kick ass benefits? makes no sense to me...guess they cant live on 15.00 per hour...sad what America has come to

[wilhelm1974]

perriellos done...bye....