A Message from President Ron Gettelfinger

A Message from
President Ron Gettelfinger

February 2005

For nearly 70 years, the UAW has been in the forefront of fighting for working Americans, our families and our communities. Our union’s mission and vision has always been about more than just another nickel in the paycheck – although negotiating good wages and decent benefits are some of our proudest achievements. Our union has also fought for workplace safety, dignity and job security and we will continue to do so.

Beyond the bargaining table, the UAW has tackled issues that benefit those who don’t have the advantages of a union card: the poor, the disenfranchised, the uninsured and the unemployed. We have always believed that workers can only make progress as the rest of society advances.

These CAP materials outline the union’s position on the key social, economic and political issues facing our union and our nation, including the following:

* The UAW believes the United States must adopt trade and tax policies to address the crisis in the manufacturing sector, and in particular, to stop the loss of jobs in the auto and auto parts industries. Our nation should pursue fair trade policies that advance the interests of workers and the general public, not just the interests of multi-national corporations. All trade agreements should include strong, enforceable protections for workers rights and the environment, as well as safeguards against import surges that threaten the jobs of American workers. We must also reform our tax code to eliminate provisions that encourage companies to ship jobs overseas, and instead provide positive incentives for employers to create more jobs in the United States.

* The UAW supports a health care plan that will guarantee universal coverage, ensure quality, reduce costs and assure equitable financing. Health care is a fundamental right that should be guaranteed for all Americans, regardless of their income or employment status. It should be delivered in a manner that encourages best medical practices and high quality care, while eliminating waste and restraining the constant escalation of costs. Health care should be financed in a manner that protects working families from excessive costs, and that levels the playing field among businesses, so that older manufacturing companies and their workers and retirees are not placed at a disadvantage because of higher legacy health care costs.

* The UAW will continue our fight for fundamental reforms to our nation’s labor laws to restore the right of workers to organize, free from employer interference or intimidation. This includes reforms such as guaranteeing workers the right to organize through card check procedures. The right to organize is a fundamental civil right that is basic to a free and democratic society. In addition, we will continue to oppose attacks on the forty-hour work week and overtime requirements, workplace health and safety protections, and family and medical leave.

* We remain committed to strengthening Social Security and negotiated defined benefit pension plans, and will oppose proposals to dismantle these bedrocks of retirement security. We believe Medicare and Medicaid should be expanded, and will vigorously oppose proposals to privatize and dismantle these critically important health care programs for seniors and low-income families.

* We believe a quality public education should be available to all American children, and will oppose private school voucher proposals that would drain resources from our public schools.

* And, we will continue to join with our allies to insist on a fair and impartial judiciary, and to oppose attempts to pack the federal courts with judges who are committed to an ideological agenda that would turn back the clock on worker and civil rights.

Although it has never been easy to win at the bargaining table or in the halls of government; the entire labor movement is now facing some extraordinary challenges due to the results of the 2004 national elections. We must not be discouraged because we can win by using the only power that working people have: our solidarity. We will move forward with renewed vision, strength and resolve – just as this union has always done.