Keep green auto jobs in U.S.

03/03/10

by Ron Gettelfinger

Congress is expected to send President Barack Obama a job creation package in the near future and we hope it will help turn the economy around.

But what if we told you that, this package aside, there were more than 190,000 automotive sector jobs about to be created this decade? And what if we told you that the only thing we have to do to get most of them in the United States is to let Republicans and Democrats know that we won't stand for these jobs being blown overseas like the Texas company that recently asked for $450 million of federal stimulus funds -- our tax dollars -- to pay for Chinese-built wind turbines?

We've heard a lot about advanced technology vehicles such as hybrid, pure-electric, natural gas and biofuel-powered, which the UAW supports. But even the most ardent advocates acknowledge these technologies won't be fully a part of the American mainstream for many decades. Until then, Americans will be using the reliable internal-combustion engines for the majority of their transportation needs.

But these are not your father's engines and transmissions. Out of necessity, they're far more advanced than they were 20 years ago.

Ford's Eco-Boost gas-powered engine combines advanced direct injection technology and turbo charging, resulting in 20 percent better fuel economy, 15 percent lower emissions and better performance than larger engines. Some of GM's most popular engines feature variable valve timing, which also leads to better gas mileage, fewer emissions and better performance. Chrysler is becoming a world leader in diesel technology through its alliance with Fiat.

Automakers will continue to refine their engines and transmissions to get the most out of each drop of gas. New government fuel regulations will require passenger vehicles to achieve roughly 35.5 miles per gallon from 2012 to 2016.

The good news is that the technology exists or will soon exist to make rapid advances in fuel efficiency. And that's where the potential for 190,000 new automotive-sector jobs comes in, according to a new report, "Clean Energy Jobs and the Auto Sector: The Potential for Higher Fuel Economy Levels to Increase U.S. Manufacturing Employment."

The report, which was prepared for the UAW and the Natural Resources Defense Council and will be released later this month, says the critical question is where those 190,000 jobs will be located. A forward to the report, by Bracken Hendricks, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, put it this way:

"While it is certain that the production of new technology will create demand for workers, where those jobs locate will be the product of policy choices. Of the over 190,000 jobs anticipated by 2020, the number of domestic jobs could vary greatly. Fewer than 50,000 jobs might go to American workers, or with different incentives, more than three times the number, over 150,000 U.S. workers, could find employment as a result of new investments in the manufactured content needed to improve fuel economy. It's up to us which path we take."

The path taken by foreign governments is to invest heavily in their automotive sectors. Europe and Japan have significant leads in hybrids, diesels, direct diesel injection and turbochargers. It's time for our government to aggressively invest in these technologies. But along with providing incentives to manufacturers, the government has a responsibility to taxpayers to ensure the products that result from our investments are made in this country. We failed to do this in the federal stimulus package and will likely end up funding those Chinese-built wind turbines.

We have the ability to demand that lawmakers do more to ensure that good-paying jobs are created here in the United States.

Or we can sit back and watch the lion's share of these jobs -- which will provide content for cars sold in the United States -- go to foreign workers.

It is up to us which path we take.

Ron Gettelfinger is president of the UAW. This op-ed was originally published in the March 3, 2010 edition of the Detroit News.

The views expressed by contributors to At Issue do not necessarily reflect the positions of the UAW.