UAW blinks first: Reconsidering health concessions for Chrysler

Chrysler no doubt felt a little burned by the United Auto Workers Union after being told it would receive no concessions for health care like the ones offered to both General Motors and Ford. At the time, the UAW cited the Chrysler Group's better financial health as the reason for the snubbing, but apparently the automaker's $1.5 billion loss last quarter and its expected loss of $1.2 billion for the year is enough to convince UAW president Ron Gettelfinger (shown at right with then Chrysler Group CEO Dieter Zetsche in 2003) that Chrysler's not doing as well as he first thought. Therefore, the UAW is conducting an independent financial study of DaimlerChrysler, just like it did for GM and Ford, to assess the company's actual fiscal standing before a decision to offer concessions is made. Since DCX is an German-American hybrid, however, they're finding it more difficult to gain access to the financial info they need. DCX, however, should be as forthcoming with that data as possible if it hopes to convince the UAW that health concessions would be in both their interests.
[Source: The Detroit News]