The UAW is about to cost the big three a bailout for the second time. The first time, the UAW refused to meet Congress’ requirements for concessions, so the bailout did not get enough votes and failed. As it should have.
Now, the Bush administration is including essentially the same requirements for concessions in its bailout package, and the UAW is again refusing to meet the requirements. Further, they are trying to prevent the bailout from occurring prior to President-Elect Obama’s inauguration, believing they can pressure him based upon labor’s support during the election.
Joe Biden was right – Barack Obama will be tested when he steps into office. Not by a foreign power, but by Ron Gettelfinger and the UAW. If the UAW can manage to stall the bailout, then President Obama must NOT cave to their demands. He needs to look Gettelfinger in the eye and tell him that his union is an anachronism, that the UAW’s demands are unreasonable, and that the American people will not subsidize the UAW member’s getting benefits which most American’s will neverreceive.
What Gettelfinger does not realize that in the equation of why the big three are in the state they are in, they are one of the key players. Certainly the big three were mismanaged. However, the UAW consistently bleeding the big three for ridiculous benefits, knowing that the big three had no choice but to eventually concede. The UAW has become detached from reality, thinking that they can continue to operate in the same fashion while the economy collapses. My inclination is if the UAW is unwilling to make concessions, then dont give the big three a bailout and make them file for bankruptcy. Lets see Gettelfinger’s response when the bankruptcy court invalidates the UAW contract and he and his union members are left with little to nothing in terms of benefits and bargaining power.
