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For Release: Friday, May 29, 2009

UAW members ratify General Motors settlement agreement

DETROIT -- UAW members at General Motors have ratified a settlement agreement with General Motors and the U.S. Treasury.

Seventy-four percent of production workers and 74 percent of skilled-trades workers voted for the agreement in balloting that took place at UAW General Motors locations throughout the United States.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, right, and Vice President Cal Rapson, discuss the sacrifices UAW members have made to preserve U.S. manufacturing jobs.

"UAW members have once again stepped up to make necessary and painful sacrifices to preserve U.S. manufacturing jobs," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. "This settlement agreement will give GM a chance to survive the worldwide collapse of industry sales and return as a viable company once the economy recovers and consumers begin purchasing vehicles again."

"These are difficult times for our active and retired members," said UAW Vice President Cal Rapson, who directs the union's GM Department. "We've negotiated an agreement which will make GM competitive. And thanks to hard bargaining and strong public support from our members and from many Americans who care about our country's manufacturing base, we won a commitment from GM for new small-car production here in the United States."

The concessionary settlement agreement, which takes effect at 4 p.m. today, meets the requirements of the U.S. Treasury for additional loans to General Motors. It includes modifications to the union's 2007 collective-bargaining agreement with GM and modifications to the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) trust.