UAW president says U.S. policies don't support manufacturing

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.cleveland.com/business/2008/02/uaw_president_says_us_policies.html

Posted by Robert Schoenberger February 08, 2008 17:37PM


Marvin Fong/The Plain DealerUnited Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger speaks to the City Club of Cleveland at a lunch today. He said the U.S. auto industry will continue to struggle without government policies that favor manufacturing

The head of the United Auto Workers says last year's groundbreaking labor deals are not enough to ensure the survival of America's automotive industry.

Public policy also must change to support manufacturing, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said today during a speech in Cleveland.

"Unless we take action, we're going to see a continued decline in manufacturing industries, and the hard work we did to preserve U.S. jobs during our 2007 auto negotiations will be compromised," Gettelfinger said during a speech at the City Club of Cleveland.

The labor deals signed last year after brief strikes at GM and Chrysler allow automakers to pay new workers lower wages to perform "non-core" jobs, give those workers access to a 401(k) retirement program instead of a pension and have new workers pay a larger portion of their health care expenses.

Also, the companies will drop health-care coverage of retirees by funding massive trust funds that the union will operate. Gettelfinger said the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Associations will allow the union to provide health care to workers, even if one of Detroit's major automakers goes out of business.

In return for those concessions, companies committed to building more cars and trucks in U.S. plants, to end outsourcing some products and to invest in their plants. But Gettelfinger said the industry will still suffer if public policy does not support U.S. manufacturing.

FULL story at link.

[Bluzmann57]

1. Real early on in this alleged administration

something happened that often goes overlooked. There was a tarriff on foreign (cheap) steel which was flooding the market here in the USA. Bush promised to keep the high tariffs and shortly after he got selected, proceeded to lift them, thereby once again flooding the American market with foreign steel, mostly from Japan and China. This has had an effect on the U.S. manufacturing base. We need American steel for American vehicles, etc. The climate of outsourcing must change and change quickly.

[nvmojo.risin]

2. I think that is more true then most want to know!