UAW makes concessions in bid to help automakers

The United Automobile Workers union has announced that it would make major concessions in its contracts with the three Detroit auto companies to help them lobby Congress for $34 billion in federal aid. At a news conference UAW president Ron Gettelfinger said that his members were willing to sacrifice job security provisions and financing for retiree healthcare to keep General Motors and Chrysler out of bankruptcy. He also said the union would agree to delay the multibillion-dollar payments to a new retiree healthcare fund that the automakers were scheduled to start making in 2009.