Obama Auto Plan: Not A Word About Protecting Autoworker Jobs, Pensions Or Health Care

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/10812

By Doug Cunningham

In President Obama’s speech on the plan to save the U.S. auto industry there was not a word about protecting the pensions of more than a million workers or of guaranteeing their retiree health care. But there were threats of bankruptcy, albeit a “structured bankruptcy’ that would keep GM and Chrysler in business.
Obama says as GM cuts costs and goes after it workers for more sacrifice he, the president, will somehow fight for autoworkers.

: “I will fight for you. You’re the reason I’m here today. I got my start fighting for working families in the shadows of a shuttered steel plant. I wake up every single day asking myself what can I do to give you and working people all across this country a fair shot at the American Dream."

For autoworkers he could start by protecting their pensions, their wages, their jobs, their retiree health care. The United Auto Workers union won all that for workers and delivered the American Dream for generations of workers. But that was nowhere to be found in his speech. A senior administration official reiterated what the president said – that bankruptcy is a real possibility, though the administration says no decisions to go that route have been made. Despite labor costs comprising just ten percent of the cost of a new car, all that’s certain for autoworkers is more pain and sacrifice. The United Auto Workers union has already cut new hire wages in half, slashed other benefits and is talking with GM and Chrysler now about taking billions of dollars less in cash to fund retiree health care. Obama says his administration is committed to the survival and viability of the U.S. auto industry. But no such commitment has been made to protect autoworker jobs, retiree pensions or health care. The double-standard of lavishing hundreds of billions of dollars on the financial industry while treating the auto industry and its workers much more harshly for much less in loans is stark. And Obama is not attaching strings to the government’s money requiring that worker wages and benefits will be restored if and when GM and Chrysler return to profitablility.

[earthside]

1. Disappointed

Because of what Obama did yesterday and this morning, there was a lot of union bashing going on among people I heard today.

I was quite disappoint to NOT hear anything from him about supporting our brothers and sisters in the UAW.

Together with the obvious double standard exercised in bailing out the Wall Street gamblers versus the auto industry ... I have the sinking feeling that Obama is selling out the UAW in favor of the bankers.

I'm sure he doesn't see it that way, but that is still how it looks.

[dcsmart]

2. K & R i know it has only been 3 months, but

some of the polices he is supporting is starting to scare me. Hey, labor (white/blue/green whatever collar) has to realize that we are the power. Solidarity is the mechanism for change in this country.

[saracat]

3. This disturbs me as well but I can't say it surprises me. I never got hw Labor

supported him in the primary. Anyone who read his books wouldn't be shocked. I want to see him order a bank CEO to step down.My guess is , it won't happen. Obama is a DLC Third Way dem.And they appease Wall Street and the banks.

[madrchsod]

4. obama has no respect for those who works with their hands

he talks a great talk but he has no scars on his hands