Upstream | February 18, 2012 | 41 comments

United Auto Workers Criticize Romney's "We Should Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" remark

source: http://crooksandliars.com/kenneth-quinnell/united-auto-workers-criticize-rom

KB723
By Kenneth Quinnell

Members of the United Auto Workers expressed extreme displeasure with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's comment that rather than bail out the auto industry, "we should have let Detroit go bankrupt." They said that Romney doesn't understand that the bailout didn't just save companies and jobs, it saved careers and families. They went further to say that when conservatives like Romney attack unions, what they are really attacking are working people.

The full press release:

UAW members reacted strongly to Mitt Romney's claim that "we should have let Detroit go bankrupt," when the economy and the auto industry were about to collapse.

"He's trying to rewrite history and attack President Obama and the UAW for successfully saving the auto industry," said UAW President Bob King. "He is misleading voters about the president's bold and decisive rescue of the auto industry and about sacrifices made by workers. But voters deserve the truth."

Even prior to the emergency rescue loans, UAW members made deep sacrifices beginning in 2005 to save the company, giving up pay increases, overtime pay, holidays, agreeing to a reduced pay and benefit structure for new hires, and other concessions. President Obama demanded additional concessions and shared sacrifice from both labor and management in exchange for the loans.

In return, America's carmakers retooled to create the energy-efficient cars of the future and repaid their outstanding loans years ahead of schedule.

Rescuing the auto industry saved more than 1.4 million jobs up and down the supply chain.

"There's not a person in Michigan who doesn't have a sister or brother or cousin or friend who is tied to the auto industry," said Stacie Steward, a UAW Local 1700 member and an electrician from Chrysler's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) in Sterling Heights, Mich. "Every Michigan citizen should be appalled by what Mitt Romney said."
"It's an attack on American workers," said Jeff Klayo, also of Local 1700 and from SHAP, which was scheduled to close before Chrysler received the loans. "We're out there trying to get the American dream. We're trying to keep our jobs, for a good wage for our family, put food on our table, pay our taxes, continue to work for the company and get the rewards.

"If the company's successful, we can be successful. If the company takes a downturn, we take a downturn with it," he added.

"The president's rescue loans helped the auto industry survive the darkest hour of its history and return to thriving operations today," said King. "These workers from SHAP are evidence. They, along with hundreds of thousands other workers who depend on the auto industry for jobs, were facing a very uncertain future, but today, they are making the Chrysler 200, one of Detroit's new, hot-selling models. UAW members completed negotiations with the domestic automakers this fall with a strategy to make the company successful and to share in its success. And that strategy paid off."

"Americans deserve to know the truth," King added. "The emergency loans worked. GM is once again the world's top carmaker. Its 2011 profit was its largest ever. The auto industry added more than 200,000 jobs in the last two-and-a-half years, and 2011 was the strongest year of industry job growth since 1994. Demand for their cars is going up, so GM, Ford and Chrysler are starting to run three production shifts a day at many plants. Added shifts and new facilities mean jobs for thousands more workers in Michigan, Ohio and other places across the country."

Romney seems to care more about appeasing his allies in the business community than helping out actual working Americans. Good to see that working Americans are fighting back against the lies that Romney and other conservatives are spreading about them.

http://crooksandliars.com/kenneth-quinnell/united-auto-workers-criticize-rom

"I am thinking Romney is going to get his Ass handed to him in his own State!!!" =)
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41 comments // United Auto Workers Criticize Romney's "We Should Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" remark // Video

  • JohnA
    • 0
      JohnA  

    • THEY DID GO BANKRUPT! GM AND CHRYSLER WENT BANKRUPT! AFTER THEY TOOK OUR TAX MONEY! GOOGLE IT! THEY WENT BANKRUPT! WHY ARE WE PRETENDING THEY DIDN'T!

    • 3 months ago
  • cmc101
    • 0
      cmc101  

    • His dad's AMC motors moved to Canada and went bankrupt
      Romney vengeance shall be his downfall
      I was wrong about moving to Canada
      American motors (AMC) was purchase by Chrysler

    • 3 months ago
  • KB723
  • cmc101
  • KB723
  • cmc101
  • KB723
  • cmc101
  • coolplanet
  • letsliveinpeace
  • bike10
  • Leen61
  • Slfriend79
  • Ambill94
    • +1
      Ambill94  

    • I wonder why it has taken King and others so long to respond to Romney's empty-headed remarks...more and more I see him as the Tin Man...with an empty head (except for what he is told to say) and a huge empty space in his chest where his heart should be...

      Thanks KB723

    • 3 months ago
  • SIBob
    • +3
      SIBob  

    • I'm sure Romney had no problem with G.W. Bush's initial bailout of the banks. The only reason he had a problem with the auto bailouts is because there were union jobs at stake, (which took a severe cut in the process). The right-wing in this country will not be satisfied until all of the working people are brought down to "competitive" levels with the rest of the world's manufacturing workers. When we are all prepared to work for less than a dollar an hour, (which might happen if things get desperate enough), then some of the factories will reopen, that is if civilization here still exists by that time.

    • 3 months ago
  • Ambill94
  • Leen61
  • SIBob
  • SIBob
  • Paratus
    • -5
      Paratus  

    • Bankruptcy would not have heralded the death of the auto industry. Someone or group would have bought GM and quite possibly cleaned up the problems that lead to the bk. With the infrastructure, dealers, suppliers, demand and labor pool available the company would not have died completely. As it is we sunk billions into the company and there are still many bucks that have not been repaid in addition to which Obama turned secured creditor payment priorities upside down. GM, and Chrysler, had systemic problems that needed to be corrected in order to have an efficient company. Obama sidestepped this which fixed nothing. It's all touchy-feely to say that he saved jobs and the management of GM is solely to blame but myopic views of the world like this do not fix problems they merely push the problems away to surface again at a later date.
      The auto industry should have been left to correct itself. I have no doubt that the UAW are happy with the deal but their part in this mess seems to have been ignored.

    • 3 months ago
  • jimstoner
    • +4
      jimstoner  
    • Paratus:

      It was in the middle of the recession and no one in the private sector was offering to help out the auto industry. If Obama had not done what he did that industry would be gone. More Obama bashing.The people who work in that industry say Obama saved them. That means Obama saved them whether Conservatives or any body else likes it or not.

    • 3 months ago
  • budsnews
  • jimstoner
    • +4
      jimstoner  
    • budsnews:

      If the U.A.W. had agreed to work for nothing the Conservative union haters would still say they were part of the problem. Paratus was probably raised in a household that had a union member paying the bills (depending on how old Paratus is).

    • 3 months ago
  • Milieu
  • JanforGore
    • +1
      JanforGore  

    • I agree about saving jobs, but I also sure do think the auto industry big wigs deserve to be taken to task for bankrupting the industry and causing many to lose their jobs and homes "in the first place." Amazing how they came through all this unscathed.

    • 3 months ago
  • KB723
  • northernexpat
    • +1
      northernexpat  
    • JanforGore:

      Jan the auto industry went down because the economy crashed and no one was buying cars. Both employers and employees came together to save the auto industry. It is something they should be proud of. Also, most of the big wigs that were in power were forced to resign, except for those in Ford, before the companies received the bail out funding. It was part of the restructuring agreement. The unions also made consessions to help keep the companies going. The employees were later rewarded with bonuses when the companies recovered.

    • 3 months ago
  • JanforGore
  • JanforGore
  • KB723
  • ZiggyStrange
    • +1
      ZiggyStrange  
    • JanforGore:

      Flint, Michigan: From Bottom to Booming in 2 Years
      posted Oct 2011

      Your video was uploaded to YouTube in June of 2009. That video would have us think Flint Michigan is still in 09, when in fact the reality is that Flint has made a comeback in 2 years. Obama's bailout worked.

    • 3 months ago
  • ZiggyStrange
  • JanforGore
    • 0
      JanforGore  
    • ZiggyStrange:

      Well had you read my original comment, it was in context to the original downturm they caused which I don't believe the corporation was held accountable for. I am for saving the jobs of those in Michigan who lost them and am happy if things are looking up now because of THEIR hard work. My point was that these corporations (which so many here also seem to be against when it suits them) bring about these hard times and get out of it unscathed, just like Wall Street. To deny they too have hurt many people in this area over the years is disingenuous. GM was a main driver of what happened in Flint "in the first place" and that was my point. But since some here make everything about Obama with the kneejerk thinking that they have to personally defend him instead of in this case discussing the target of the ire which was the auto industry which has been far from pristine over the years in their actions towards their workers the entire point is lost as they jump on the person. No wonder the participation on this site is down to just a handful of people.

    • 3 months ago
  • ZiggyStrange
    • 0
      ZiggyStrange  
    • JanforGore:

      Here we go again, No disagreement with Jan or else.

      No Jan. I read your comments, the automotive industry did not cause the demise of Flint.

      The policies of the right killed manufacturing in America. Outsourcing by American companies is encouraged by people driven by greed, not social reform.

      Detroit was an example of everyone deciding to do more than just whine and fix the problem. Were it not for Obama there would be no automotive industry in America by now, and you know it.

      "because of THEIR hard work" You emphasized "their" . Whatever could you mean by that? Who are they? In this case we all know who came to the table to work it out, and who made sure there was a table to work it out on. Obama who you are trying to extricate from the equation to no avail because no matter how much it bothers you to admit it. He did the right thing in Detroit.

      Yes I will defend Obama when people ignorantly blame him for everything he inherited, and or was unable to do in the first term. You refuse to give the president credit for anything "good" he has ever done, or tried to do, but will jump out of your shoes to point out his every flaw.

      Who Jan? Who should we elect in 2012? Gov Christie? Romney? Gingrich, Santorum? Ron Paul? Should we give the Republican a proxy vote by writing in Daryl Hannah? Roseanne Barr? Al Gore?

      You don't tolerate the slightest difference of opinion, and god help anyone that dares to post a dissenting comment.

      You posted a video that was 2 1/2 years old, I pointed that out, I posted 2 videos that reflect Flint now. I said Obama's bailout worked. I said things are looking up in Flint.

      Who got personal? You did.

      Read my posts Jan, why are you so incensed? did I insult you or call you names?
      Is that rational? I simply disagreed with you.

      How is that jumping all over you?
      How is that a knee jerk reaction?

      I did not say that GM or Chrysler were not part of the problem. But here you are implying I did.

      I'm Disingenuous? Since I came here in January of 2011 my position has been unwavering and very direct. I support Obama.

      As far as low participation here at current I'm sure it has nothing to do with my few posts to people I disagree with. You give me way too much credit in that department.
      Most of last year I was not even here. Do I jump all over a troll or shill coming in to disrupt a thread? You bet I do.

      It's more likely due to the intolerance of the few people here that like you feel they own this place because they have been here a long time, maybe too long to be objective.or feel they are more entitled to their opinion than the "Huffpo" people that came here and ruined current for all the perfect beings that were here in paradise.

      Current corporate policies ruined current's community. You know it, and so does everyone else.

      You have very thin skin lady. Chill out.

    • 3 months ago
  • budsnews
    • +3
      budsnews  

    • great story,romney attacks unions at every campaign stop...he thinks it plays well because of the faux news echo chamber gives him an instant response.More proof that this candidate is out of touch with this surging economy and the cross section of working Americans driving it.

    • 3 months ago
  • KB723
  • budsnews
  • KB723
  • KB723
    • +2
      KB723  

    • "There's not a person in Michigan who doesn't have a sister or brother or cousin or friend who is tied to the auto industry," said Stacie Steward, a UAW Local 1700 member and an electrician from Chrysler's Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (SHAP) in Sterling Heights, Mich. "Every Michigan citizen should be appalled by what Mitt Romney said."
      "It's an attack on American workers," said Jeff Klayo, also of Local 1700 and from SHAP, which was scheduled to close before Chrysler received the loans. "We're out there trying to get the American dream. We're trying to keep our jobs, for a good wage for our family, put food on our table, pay our taxes, continue to work for the company and get the rewards.

    • 3 months ago
  • KB723
    • +2
      KB723  

    • United Auto Workers Criticize Romney's "We Should Let Detroit Go Bankrupt" remark

      "I am thinking Romney is going to get his Ass handed to him in his own State!!!" =)

    • 3 months ago
  • Milieu
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