Union chief: Auto makeover deadline unrealistic

WASHINGTON -- United Auto Workers union president Ron Gettelfinger suggested Monday that a mid-February deadline for General Motors and Chrysler to complete their restructuring plans may be "almost unattainable" and no formal talks had commenced between the union and car makers.

Gettelfinger told reporters the current Feb. 17 deadline for General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC could be moved back "because, honestly, most people that would look at this from a realistic standpoint would say this timeline is almost unattainable."

"I said myself that I hope this wasn't set up to intentionally fail because the people who were a part of this have no idea of the magnitude of what they were asking these companies to do," Gettelfinger said at a pre-Inaugural reception. There have been a number of parties in Washington ahead of President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration Tuesday.

The Treasury Department provided $17.4 billion in loans to General Motors and Chrysler last month, but the companies need to file detailed restructuring plans by Feb. 17 that include concessions from the UAW and bondholders.

The bailout engineered by the outgoing Bush administration requires GM and Chrysler to achieve "viability" by March 31. The loans may be called back if the government determines the automakers haven't meet that goal.

GM spokesman Greg Martin said the company was "working hard to meet the terms of the loan and to comply with all deadlines." A message was left with a Chrysler spokeswoman.

Gettelfinger said union leaders "haven't had any real formal discussions" with the companies and the UAW was reviewing documents related to the loans.

The incoming Obama administration will be free to reopen the agreement from the government's side if they choose to. Asked whether the UAW would ask Obama for changes, Gettelfinger said, "all we want is the Obama administration to be fair as opposed to somebody taking a shot at organized labor."

The UAW has opposed provisions in the plan that requires the automakers to get new concessions from their workers, including wage and benefits cuts in 2009 to make them competitive with U.S. employees at Japanese auto plants.