New TV ad calls on Congress to support Main Street America

3 million jobs would be lost if U.S. auto companies go under

Today, as hearings begin on Capitol Hill, the UAW will begin airing a new 30-second television ad in the Washington market calling on Congress to immediately provide an emergency bridge loan to Ford, GM and Chrysler. Earlier this week, the Big 3 did something that Citibank, FreddieMac, FannieMae and AIG did not do; they presented Congress with a plan for using taxpayer money for a bridge loan in a transparent way.

At an emergency meeting yesterday in Detroit, UAW delegates representing Chrysler, Ford and GM workers agreed to consider additional sacrifices to help the U.S. auto industry, including deferred payments to a health care trust, the suspension of the jobs bank program, and convening UAW bargaining committees to consider contract modifications.

"This is about saving jobs and businesses from coast to coast," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "All auto industry stakeholders are going to have to sacrifice, and our members are willing to do their part.

"Now, Congress has to act. Three million jobs would be lost and thousands of small businesses will fail if Congress allows our auto industry to go under. Other auto producing countries, from Germany to Brazil and China, are supporting their auto industry at this critical time.

“Main Street deserves help just as much as the bankers on Wall Street. It is time for Congress to do its job to save millions of American jobs and prevent our nation from falling deeper in recession."

The TV spot, titled, "Not Bankers" will begin airing in Washington today and will run for through next week.

A transcript of the ad follows:

VISUAL: SERIES OF STILL PORTRAITS OF AUTO WORKERS
WORKER

(Voice Over): We're not bankers.

We don't work on Wall Street.
...or for big insurance companies.

We build quality cars and trucks.

But we've been hit by the same financial crisis.

If we go out of business...
So will thousands of other businesses...

If we lose our jobs...
So will millions of others...

Our communities will suffer.
The economy will get worse..

So Congress,
If Wall Street can get help...
So should Main Street.

We work hard...
...building fuel-efficient cars for our future.

Don't let us down.
We won't let America down.