UAW, Republicans Blame Each Other on Bailout

Gettelfinger says he felt he was being 'set up'

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Dec 12, 2008 11:21 AM CST

(Newser) – The UAW and opponents of the failed Detroit bailout blamed each other today for the impasse, the New York Times reports. GOP Sen. Bob Corker says the rescue plan could have been salvaged if the UAW had listened to him. "I offered him a solution," he said of UAW chief Ron Gettelfinger. But Gettelfinger feared he was “being set up” and called Corker’s proposal to cut union wages in 2009 an unreasonable “arbitrary deadline.”

“This was a blatant attempt to make workers shoulder the lion’s share of the costs of any restructuring plan,” Gettelfinger said. Corker had proposed that UAW salaries, which stand at about $55 an hour, be made competitive with workers at foreign-owned plants, who make about $45 an hour.

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger speaks during a news conference in Detroit, Friday, Dec. 12, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., speaks with members of the press following the Senate's rejection of an emergency $14 billion loan bailout for US auto companies, Dec. 11, 2008, on Capitol Hill. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger speaks during a news conference in Detroit, Friday, Dec.12, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 7 comments

Guest

Dec 20, 2008 10:12 PM CST

If you want to deal with averages, not median pay, the average Golman Sachs employee makes better than $350,000 a year. What--no outrage? They are our betters and deserve it?

Guest

Dec 20, 2008 10:07 PM CST

You are correct John. No one was asking how much the average financial worker was making when we started the bailout of that industry. And people on here attack the "high" wages of the UAW workers, but remain silent about multi-million dollar bonuses to those in the financial industry and the fact that US CEOs make more than 300 times more than the average floor worker vs 35-40 times in Japan and Europe. And now Goldman Sachs has offshored so even though bailed out at the taxpayers expense, they will only pay 1% taxes this year. I feel like this nation would rather feel big and bad kicking puppies than first addressing the big dogs at the top. It smells of cowardice to me.

John

Dec 15, 2008 1:42 AM CST

First the UAW, and then the rest of us. Don't forget that without unions we would not have a 40 hour work week, health care, pensions, weekends, etc. Big business wanted the world enconomy not to improve working conditons throughout the world, but rather to bring the US workers down to the world salary scale and benefits. We see what we get when we let big business self regulate!! I assure you that if they can take away salary and benefits from the auto workers, they will try in othere industries. Oh, that's right, we shipped our other industries overseas. Just because we don't have something, doesn't mean we have to take something away from those that do.

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UAW, Republicans Blame Each Other on Bailout

Gettelfinger says he felt he was being 'set up'

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For a period of three years

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They say takeover violated investors' fifth amendment rights

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Austerity measures likely to pass despite enraged public

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Final hurdle before receiving bailout funds now cleared

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UAW, Republicans Blame Each Other on Bailout

Gettelfinger says he felt he was being 'set up'

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United Auto Workers • Senate • auto industry • Ron Gettelfinger • bailout • Bob Corker • financial crisis

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More Newser Stories

ECB Makes Massive $639B Loan to Banks

For a period of three years

Ex-AIG CEO Sues US Over Bailout

They say takeover violated investors' fifth amendment rights

As Vote Looms, Strike Shutters Greece 2nd Day

Austerity measures likely to pass despite enraged public

Greece Passes 2nd Austerity Bill

Final hurdle before receiving bailout funds now cleared

GM Doles Out Biggest Profit-Sharing Checks Ever

The company's 45K hourly workers to get around $4K each

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Newser By Users

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