UAW supports tailpipe regulations, prepares for contract strategy sessions

The United Auto Workers union is busy these days. Yesterday, UAW president Bob King addressed the  House Energy and Commerce Committee. As part of the BlueGreen Alliance, a consortium of four environmental groups and 10 unions, King urged Congress to keep tailpipe regulations.

March 15, The Detroit News:  UAW President Bob King said the regulation of tailpipe emissions has been a "win-win" for the auto sector.

"This is a pretty simple equation: new technologies required by such standards bring additional content on each vehicle, and that requires more engineers, more managers, and more construction and production workers," said King. "Meanwhile, we achieve greater oil independence for our nation and a cleaner, healthier environment for ourselves and our children."

The proposed legislation would remove the Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act. If it passed it would return power to set standards for fuel economy back to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In theory, the Republican sponsored legislation would be a job maker, because there would be less regulation. It also stops states like California from creating their own standards.

The BlueGreen Alliance argues standards create jobs.

In addition to testifying before congress, the UAW is preparing for upcoming strategy sessions next week. Contracts with Ford, Chrysler and GM expire this September. UAW President King says workers should share in rewards after the past decades sacrifices.

March 16, Crain's Detroit Business: King, 64, will negotiate new contracts this year with General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., and Chrysler Group While the agreements don't expire until September, King has said workers must be rewarded for sacrifices they made to help the automakers survive.

He said UAW members each gave $7,000 to $30,000 in concessions since 2005."All the sacrifices that our members made to turn these companies around were part of the process that's really led to this amazing turnaround," King said in a January interview. "We want our membership to share in a very meaningful way in the upside of these companies."

This year's contract negotiations are the most important yet for the UAW.

After decades of shedding jobs, the U.S. auto industry (thanks to a govt. bailout to GM and Chrysler) is slowly rebounding.

Ford executives were recently rewarded handsomely for steering the company from the brink.  Are workers going to be rewarded as well?

UAW workers did not make the executive decisions that nearly destroyed the U.S. auto industry. But they did pay a price in terms of decreases in wage and benefits and loss of jobs.

They have been given the stick, will they finally get a carrot?