Sen. Stabenow Says thanks for auto loans but no thanks for contract-busting wage provisions

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Stabenow: UAW wage cut terms not fair

WASHINGTON – Adding her voice to those thanking the White House for extending a $17.4-billion lifeline to Detroit’s automakers, Sen. Debbie Stabenow said she is worried that the agreements may be written in such a way as to require the UAW to put wages on a par with foreign automakers by the end of next year and have a plan to do so written out by February.

She said she will work to get President-elect Barack Obama after he is inaugurated Jan. 20 to make sure such a rule isn’t required of the union, which the Michigan senator says has already been working toward that goal.

“That part of it I don’t believe is fair and I will be asking our new president to have flexibility and make changes in those provisions,” Stabenow told reporters today in a conference call. “To single out workers with very specific short term targets … I think is the one disappointing part of this.”

Before doing that, she said, government needs to understand its role in helping to reduce worker costs – including those associated with health care.

read: http://www.freep.com/article/20081219/BUSINESS01/81219057

[BR_Parkway]

1. Well, if this is a contract - and it says to make them on par - couldn't

the argument be made that the US worker's have to be bought up to the same health care system that the foreign companies enjoy?

Or maybe put on the current Federal system? I don't know a thing about the differences in coverage or cost from what it is now, but seems to be worth exploring if we're going to remain competitive

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2. I think the foreign companies spend less on benefits for their workers in the south

. . . U.S.