UAW: Thanks for Your Efforts!

[Omaha Steve]

UAW members are celebrating a victory today -- the release of emergency bridge loans for the U.S. auto industry.

With these funds, America's factories will stay open. The domestic auto industry now has a chance to weather the current economic crisis and work on a restructuring plan for long-term viability.

Just a few weeks ago, the prospects for our industry and our jobs were grim. Unlike Wall Street banks and insurance companies, which received hundreds of billions of dollars with almost no strings attached, Main Street manufacturers were subject to intense scrutiny by Congress. It was not clear that we could win support for emergency assistance.

Who turned this situation around? You did. Your grassroots efforts -- along with a coalition of dealers, suppliers and other industry stakeholders -- won support for legislation which passed the House and had majority support in the U.S. Senate.

When a minority of senators blocked passage of this bill, President Bush reversed his position and agreed to use a portion of the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) to assist our industry.

We still have more hard work to do. Unfortunately, President Bush attached strings to the loans which unfairly single out workers. We will be working with the Obama Administration and the new Congress to get these unfair targets removed.

We will need your help to make sure that workers and retirees are treated fairly as the process of restructuring the domestic auto industry continues in the months ahead.

We know we can count on you. Millions of American families have a brighter future today because of all that you have already accomplished.


Thanks so much for all of your efforts on behalf of our union and our communities.


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[pinto]

1. Recommended. n/t

[Trajan]

2. As you know, Steve ...

This is NOT going to work out unless people start buying cars ....

It is not because US cars are 'bad' ...

It is not because they are NOT electric or hybrid ...

It is because NON auto workers, you know ? ... Those WITHOUT a union who toil and struggle for peanuts, and who think themselves 'rich' because they used to have a credit card and an equity loan ...

Is is because THOSE workers cannot buy cars, and without sales revenues, profits will be hard to come by ....

Thanks for your voice ....

[Phred42]

3. You don't think Chrysler would take this money THEN declare banruptcy anyway, do you?

:shrug:

:tinfoilhat:

[roguevalley]

4. God bless unions and their people.

[whathehell]

5. Yup...The union did great things for my family and those of so many others.

[Historic NY]

6. K&R....Canada offers up 4 billion in auto aid also

http://money.canoe.ca/News/Economy/2008/12/20/7814411-cp.html

<snip>
The announcement by Harper and Premier Dalton McGuinty in Toronto came a day after U.S. President George W. Bush offered a US$17.4-billion in emergency loans to General Motors and Chrysler.

"We are doing this on the assumption that we cannot afford either in the United States or Canada a catastrophic short-term collapse," said Harper.

The Canadian plan will provide General Motors Canada with loans of up to $3 billion and Chrysler Canada will receive up to $1 billion - a total based on the U.S. aid and proportional to their Canadian production.

The companies will get the money in three instalments, with the first portion coming Dec. 29.
<snip>

[Brucie Kibbutz]

7. I think a lot of people don't realize

what organizations like the UAW and Teamsters have done to improve the lives of anyone that works for a living.

Until recently, I worked for a company that assembles chassis modules for GM. Since it's non union, everyone is employed through Randstad. You start out at $9.25/hr and won't get any health insurance until you have worked 1,000 hours. Raises in pay are usually 25 cents per year. The company never hires anyone. Some have been there for as long as 7 years and they're still temps. They cheat line workers out of at least an hours worth of pay every week. You can count on it if you get anywhere near 40 hours. You won't see any overtime on your check. Whenever they want to get rid of anyone, they harass them until they won't put up with it anymore and quit without notice so Randstad can pay them minimum wage for the last check. Then they'll have the nerve to hand out T shirts with the slogan "Our strength is in our employees" and wonder why you refuse to wear it. There is a lot more shit that goes on but I think you get the idea.

Without unions, Republicans will have us blue collar workers right where they want us. Always poor and desperate with no other options. No health insurance and wages that have you just above poverty level.

[Omaha Steve]

8. Welcome to the Labor Forum

We are growing from a slow start.