Government and Industry Leaders Call for Aid to Automakers

As this edition of the eNews is being prepared, media sources report that U.S. President-elect Barack Obama, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, representatives of the Big Three automakers, and the United Autoworkers’ Union (UAW) are all calling for Congressional aid to the faltering U.S. auto industry. A quick check of websites reveals that Ford has reported third quarter losses of $129 million net while rival General Motors reports losses of a staggering $4.2 billion. Chrysler, in turn, has announced the end of any negotiations for its purchase by Ford. Meanwhile, UAW President Ron Gettelfinger has noted that the economic turmoil affects all companies within the broad swathe of automotive manufacturing—from the assembly plants themselves to dealerships and the thousands of suppliers to the auto industry.Check out his complete statement at the UAW website.