[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 96 (Thursday, June 24, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        HONORING RON GETTELFINGER FOR HIS LEADERSHIP OF THE UAW

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CANDICE S. MILLER

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 23, 2009

  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, when people think of achieving 
the American Dream, it is largely a middle class dream to which they 
aspire. People want to be able to have a stable job, own their own 
home, get their kids a good education, and maybe have a little left 
over to invest in a boat or an RV to relax on the weekends. They do not 
need to have the biggest house on the street or the most expensive car; 
they just want security for themselves and their family.
  In my humble opinion, there is no place that embodies the ideal of 
the American Dream better than the state of Michigan. The reason for 
that, Mr. Speaker, is that for all the great inventions to come out of 
Michigan, perhaps the best is the American middle class.
  Over the last 100 years, GM, Ford, and Chrysler were some of the 
largest companies in America and they provided jobs for millions over 
that time. People from around the country and around the world flocked 
to Detroit for a brighter future and a chance at achieving the American 
Dream.
  As these companies prospered, the Big Three and the UAW collaborated 
for decades to provide good-paying jobs, health benefits, and a secure 
retirement of millions of workers and their families not only in 
Michigan, but around the rest of the country as well. There were some 
bumps in the road in that relationship, but both management and labor 
prospered from the success of these companies. The result was the 
creation of the American middle class.
  Unfortunately, the last few years have not been as kind to the 
domestic auto industry as the previous 100 years had been. We can talk 
about all the different reasons for that, but the point is that the 
president of the UAW was put in a position that no other UAW leader had 
ever been.
  Ron Gettelfinger had to negotiate significant reductions in pay and 
benefits for his members, and then convince those members that these 
actions were necessary to save the companies on which their livelihoods 
depended. Some called it the most difficult job in Detroit--and they 
may have been right.
  Ron Gettelfinger in some ways represents the perfect image for the 
UAW. He works hard. He doesn't seek out the media spotlight. He simply 
tries to do the very best he can for the men and women who have placed 
their trust in him. He is just like so many hard-working men and women 
of the UAW.
  And in what was a true crisis that threatened the American Dream for 
so many, Ron Gettelfinger stepped up to the plate. As he had always 
done, he fought for the best interests of his members--which ultimately 
meant sacrificing some hard negotiated benefits so that the Big Three 
could survive.
  And let there be no doubt, were it not for his practical and 
pragmatic leadership, the fate of the Big Three could have turned out 
very differently. The end of GM and the likely liquidation of Chrysler 
were very real possibilities. Instead, Ford, GM, and Chrysler are now 
moving forward in a profitable way that ensures future generations will 
also have an opportunity at achieving the American Dream through the 
auto industry.
  As Ron moves on to a new chapter in his life, I wish him the very 
best and I thank him for the quiet courage and dedication he showed in 
a very difficult situation. All of us and all of Michigan owe him a 
tremendous debt of gratitude.

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