Saving jobs and the environment.
We can do both …

… And we need your help!

If you have a computer, please sign up for UAWire at www.uaw.org for a quick link to your representatives in Washington. It gives you a voice on important issues such as the upcoming energy legislation.

The debate on corporate average fuel economy standards – known as CAFE – will most likely take center stage when Congress returns after Labor Day. Unfortunately, there are some in Congress who are pushing much higher CAFE standards as the be-all and end-all answer to limiting greenhouse emissions.

But, it’s much more complicated than that.

For example, during the congressional debate this summer, one proposal eliminated the longstanding requirement that auto manufacturers in the United States meet fuel efficiency standards both for their fleet of cars made in this country and for their fleet of cars built overseas.

The UAW was successful in getting this so-called “two-fleet rule” included in the original CAFE program in order to keep small car production in the United States. The two-fleet rule encourages manufacturers to make small, fuel-efficient cars in the United States to counterbalance the lower fuel efficiency of larger vehicles.

Without it, automakers are almost sure to move small car production overseas, most likely to low-wage countries, eliminating tens of thousands of American jobs.

It begs the question: How does driving away small car production in the United States save our environment?

The UAW position is very simple and straightforward: Protecting and preserving the environment should be the shared responsibility of all industries – not just the auto industry.

Maintaining the two-fleet rule is essential to keep small car production in the United States and to save the tens of thousands of jobs it creates.

In addition, maintaining the CAFE distinction between passenger cars and light trucks is necessary to keep from unfairly burdening those automakers (Chrysler Corp., Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Corp.) who manufacture more trucks. Lumping together cars and trucks for purposes of reaching an average miles-per-gallon CAFE standard could result in job loss at facilities that produce pickups, SUVs and minivans.

Please contact your senators and representatives and let them know that the UAW supports increased CAFE standards that are economically feasible and protect both good jobs and the environment.

Ron Gettelfinger