Tuesday, October 27, 2009

UAW says Delaware auto investment is 'great news' for U.S. economy

WILMINGTON, Del. -- UAW officials today praised the decision by Fisker Automotive, a new American car company, to produce plug-in electric vehicles in Wilmington, Del.

"This is great news for Delaware, for the U.S. economy, and for manufacturing workers," said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who along with Region 8 Director Gary Casteel joined Vice President Joe Biden and Fisker Automotive executives for the announcement of the new venture, which will utilize a former General Motors manufacturing facility.

Fisker's investment in Delaware is expected to create thousands of assembly and parts supplier jobs, with a capacity to produce 100,000 electric vehicles per year by 2014.

The project is supported by $528.7 million in low-cost loans from the U.S. Department of Energy, part of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program (ATVMIP), which was written into law by Congress in 2007.

"Our members started working to get funds for advanced vehicles into the federal budget back in 2003," said Gettelfinger. "The price of gas was a lot lower then, and conditions in the auto industry were much different. But we could see the industry had to change -- and this is exactly the type of investment we had in mind when we lobbied Congress for assistance to build the cars of the future here in the United States."

Bringing Fisker to Delaware, said Gettelfinger, "was a true team effort. There was a lot of hard work involved, and it's going to pay off with manufacturing jobs that will be a great asset in Wilmington and in communities around the country."

Company entrepreneurs Henrik Fisker and Barny Koehler, Gettelfinger said, "have a great vision, and great confidence in the American economy and American workers." The multi-million dollar investment in U.S. manufacturing, said Gettelfinger, was also made possible by the hard work of Gov. Jack Markell and the Delaware congressional delegation, UAW Region 8 Director Casteel, UAW Local 435 President Dave Myers and UAW Local 435 plant chair Joe Ricco.

The UAW, one of the nation's most diverse unions, represents workers in auto, aerospace, agricultural implement and other manufacturing, as well as gaming, higher education, health care, public service and other sectors.