UAW Grateful, Vows to Reverse ‘Unfair’ Conditions

The United Auto Workers (UAW) Union applauded the Bush administration for giving Detroit’s Big Three a $13.4 billion loan Friday, but said it is disappointed in “unfair” conditions in the agreement, and would work with the Obama administration to reverse them.

“While we appreciate that President Bush has taken the emergency action needed to help America’s auto companies weather the current financial crisis, we are disappointed that he has added unfair conditions singling out workers,” said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. “These conditions were not included in the bipartisan legislation endorsed by the White House, which passed the House of Representatives and which won support from a majority of senators.”

Gettelfinger said the union would work with the Obama administration to remove conditions on wage parity with foreign workers. Lawmakers have said that additional elements of a bailout for the auto companies may be worked out during the next administration, and the Obama team would have the option of extending an additional $4 billion to the companies should they comply with the terms laid out by President Bush by March 31st.

Significant concessions by the UAW were a major sticking point in negotiations with Senate Republicans, a point which eventually contributed to the bill’s defeat in a procedural vote last week.