State of the Union July 30, 2010

July 30, 2010 online at www.uawlocal2250.com

President Obama will visit the Hamtramck (Volt) plant today to tout the progress of GM. White House spokesman Robert Gibbs defended the president’s decision to intervene, saying “The president didn't think that walking away from a million jobs and people in these communities made a lot of sense.” Noting that radio host Rush Limbaugh and other critics had called for letting GM and Chrysler collapse, Gibbs added: "I'll let those that sat in the cheap seats a year ago and wanted to walk away from a million explain to every one of those workers why they made that decision."

UAW President Bob King had these comments concerning the good news regarding the turnaround of the domestic auto industry: “The reports show what is possible with cooperative, collaborative relationships. The commitment, sacrifices and hard work of the men and women at UAW-represented companies is an enormous part of the positive news coming from Ford, GM and Chrysler where UAW members are producing best-in-class quality results and building vehicles that hands-down beat global competition. These achievements are more than news stories. They represent the commitment and hard work that helps our members provide for the families and contribute to the economic stability of their community and our country. Thanks to the Obama administration and leaders who understand how vital auto manufacturing jobs are to every community in this country, these companies and UAW workers can and will continue to succeed.”

From the Detroit Free Press: While auto sales have rebounded since last year's downturn, that surge is being driven by fleet sales to rental companies and other businesses, said Roger Penske, CEO of Penske Automotive Group. Fleet sales were up 60% during the second quarter, compared with the same year-ago period, while retail sales were up only 9%, Penske said in an interview Thursday, after the company reported its second-quarter performance. "We continue to be optimistic about the recovery and our business," Penske said.