UAW's Gettelfinger Waxes On Ford, Gives No Opinion On Chrysler-GM Combo
Apparently the way UAW head honcho Ron Gettelfinger sees it, there's really nothing to say about this whole GM-buying-Chrysler bug everyone's caught. Earlier today on WJR Radio in Detroit, the chieftain of the auto workers said "I have absolutely no opinion on that at all...It may end up that it's not sold. Who knows?" That may make Ron the one industry insider out there who's truly calling it as they see it — because really, other than that one person who knows "better than anyone else covering the business out there" — who the hell really knows what's going on right now, or what it means in the long run? But what we do know is that industry navel-gazers have been concerned about what the UAW's reaction is and it sounds like they should just take a step back and wait, because it doesn't look like Ron or is his organization's ready to, or even has, any cards to show on it. But whereas the G-unit's mum on Chrysler and GM, he does know he's not going to be giving the third of the traditional big three any slack in negotiations beginning this summer. G-money's quoted as saying:
"They just went through this huge financing. They've got a ton of cash. They've got great leadership at the top of that company...they've made some tough decisions but so...
...have we. That company is in great shape."
I don't quite know whether sitting on a load of loaned cash is what's normally considered to be "great shape," but hell, that position describes what'll be happening to a load of UAW workers in FoMoCo assembly plants if things continue to go up shit's creek. Does that means Ron's just looking to provide them with a paddle?
UAW Says "No Opinion" on Possible GM – Chrysler Deal [NYT]
Photo By: Alex Wong / Getty Images News
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