A "Marshall Plan for the U.S. auto industry," on a scale similar to U.S. aid to devastated Europe after World War II, was among the legislative priorities for Auto Worker delegates at their conference in Washington.
The delegates started Feb. 7, a week after the GOP-run Congress returned to town. Rescuing the domestic auto industry, and particularly the Big 3 automakers of Detroit, plus their parts suppliers, headlined UAW's pre-conference agenda. Lobbying came just after Ford and GM unveiled plans to lay off 25,000-30,000 workers each by the end of their UAW contracts, and between sessions of a federal bankruptcy hearing for Delphi Auto Parts. Delphi, GM's supplier, wants to fire at least 18,000 of its workers.
The "Marshall Plan," as outlined in UAW's legislative goals, calls for federal aid "to help auto manufacturers and auto parts companies retool and expand existing U.S. facilities to produce flexible fuel and advanced technology vehicles and their key components." That would help stop offshoring of U.S. auto jobs, the union stated.
Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, told a group of local UAW delegates, at a meeting in his office, that "we're starting to work on a tax credit for consumers who buy U.S.-made vehicles. It would look at not just is this a GM vehicle, but where are the parts from, the tires and everything else. So it would be based on overall content, and hopefully that would create an incentive in the marketplace for consumers to buy your products."
The other part of UAW's "Marshall Plan" is to "make sure there is a level playing field among all auto companies" by handling the problem of "retiree health care costs of older automotive and other manufacturing companies."
Aid for retooling and removing such "legacy costs"--which foreign auto firms don't have--"will create thousands of jobs for American workers and help protect the pensions and health care benefits that retirees have earned. At the same time, it will enhance our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil," UAW said.
But UAW President Ron Gettelfinger told delegates that changing the terms of retiree health care costs for auto and parts companies is not enough. He said the U.S. "health care crisis cannot be solved" by one union, industry or at the bargaining table--or by cutting coverage for workers and retirees. It "requires a national solution: A single-payer, universal, comprehensive, national health care plan for every man, woman and child."
This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
For more information
Visit the UAW website, www.uaw.org
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A “Marshall Plan for the U.S. auto industry,” on a scale similar to U.S. aid to devastated Europe after World War II, was among the legislative priorities for Auto Worker delegates at their conference in Washington.
The delegates started Feb. 7, a week after the GOP-run Congress returned to town. Rescuing the domestic auto industry, and particularly the Big 3 automakers of Detroit, plus their parts suppliers, headlined UAW’s pre-conference agenda. Lobbying came just after Ford and GM unveiled plans to lay off 25,000-30,000 workers each by the end of their UAW contracts, and between sessions of a federal bankruptcy hearing for Delphi Auto Parts. Delphi, GM’s supplier, wants to fire at least 18,000 of its workers.
The “Marshall Plan,” as outlined in UAW’s legislative goals, calls for federal aid “to help auto manufacturers and auto parts companies retool and expand existing U.S. facilities to produce flexible fuel and advanced technology vehicles and their key components.” That would help stop offshoring of U.S. auto jobs, the union stated.
Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, told a group of local UAW delegates, at a meeting in his office, that “we’re starting to work on a tax credit for consumers who buy U.S.-made vehicles. It would look at not just is this a GM vehicle, but where are the parts from, the tires and everything else. So it would be based on overall content, and hopefully that would create an incentive in the marketplace for consumers to buy your products.”
The other part of UAW’s “Marshall Plan” is to “make sure there is a level playing field among all auto companies” by handling the problem of “retiree health care costs of older automotive and other manufacturing companies.”
Aid for retooling and removing such “legacy costs”–which foreign auto firms don’t have–“will create thousands of jobs for American workers and help protect the pensions and health care benefits that retirees have earned. At the same time, it will enhance our national security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” UAW said.
But UAW President Ron Gettelfinger told delegates that changing the terms of retiree health care costs for auto and parts companies is not enough. He said the U.S. “health care crisis cannot be solved” by one union, industry or at the bargaining table–or by cutting coverage for workers and retirees. It “requires a national solution: A single-payer, universal, comprehensive, national health care plan for every man, woman and child.”
This article was written by Press Associates, Inc., news service. Used by permission.
For more information
Visit the UAW website, www.uaw.org