UAW President Ron Gettelfinger is questioning the GOP's motives for defeating the autobailout
UAW President Ron Gettelfinger is out to demonize Sen. Bob Corker after the Republican senator played in instrumental role in blocking the $14 billion bailout for automakers last night.
Gettelfinger held a press conference to question Corker's motives in trying to block the bailout Friday morning.
Gettelfinger gave media at the presser an email "action alert" from Republican senators who said they should "stand firm against organized labor" in this fight. The email mentioned the "card check" legislation Big Labor supports and said Congress "should not rush to pass" the auto bailout. (From what Gettelfinger read from the email it appears to be a normal type of action alert circulated by both parties...this reporter doesn't see anything nefarious in it, although the UAW does.)
The UAW president says he was unsure who Corker was "representing" wonders if labor was being "set up" and thinks the UAW was being held to a "double standard."
In other words Big Labor is about to put all their might behind destroying Corker because they didn't get their money.
Negotiations on the bailout ultimately collapsed last night when union officials refused to make any concessions about worker pay. Gettelfinger likened it to "subterfuge by the Republican party who wanted to tear down any agreement we came up with.
The UAW is now asking Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to authorize TARP money to fund the auto industry.
