Post by TonyV on Dec 18, 2009 3:10:08 GMT -5
UAW chief has faith in King
Gettelfinger upbeat, confident in successor's readiness to lead union
BY BRENT SNAVELY
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Comments (30) Recommend Print E-mail Letter to the editor Share CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect title for Cindy Estrada. Her correct title is director of the UAW National Organizing Department. This report is correct.
An upbeat and nostalgic Ron Gettelfinger, who is stepping down as UAW president in the coming year, said Wednesday he is confident that longtime friend and colleague Bob King will do a masterful job as his replacement.
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"We forced him" to accept the nomination, Gettelfinger joked as he addressed journalists at a news conference at the Dearborn Hyatt. "He's the best guy on the board. The board got behind him and said 'Bob! Bob! Bob!' "
King, 63, received the unanimous support of the UAW's board and administrative caucus to be elected as the next president at the union's constitutional convention in Detroit next June. Then, he is to focus on trying to rebuild the union after years of retrenchment from the industry's decline.
"We will collectively ... put together a plan and a strategy ... based on the great work that Ron has done," King said.
Gettelfinger, 65, said he hasn't made retirement plans, but has been reading about the late UAW president Douglas Fraser's work lobbying Congress for Chrysler aid in 1979.
King set to take UAW presidency
It's King's UAW now.
He received the unanimous support of the union's board of directors and administrative caucus on Wednesday to be the union's nominee for UAW president at a constitutional convention next June in Detroit.
"There is no question in my mind Bob King will be the right person to lead the union forward," Gettelfinger said during a news conference on Wednesday. "He is relentless and tenacious."
While other candidates can be nominated for the presidency at the convention, the practice is viewed as a mere formality.
Gettelfinger has served as president for two terms and is too old to seek re-election according to UAW rules.
The UAW on Tuesday also announced that secretary-treasurer Elizabeth Bunn, along with vice president Cal Rapson, will retire. Meanwhile, vice presidents Jimmy Settles and General Holiefield have been nominated for re-election.
New nominees to become top leaders for the UAW include Dennis Williams, a UAW director in Chicago, Joe Ashton, also a regional director, and Cindy Estrada, the director of the UAW National Organizing Department.
While Williams is nominated to become the next secretary-treasurer, Gettelfinger said King will decide how to divide up the duties after the June convention.
King offered few clues about his agenda.
"It's very humbling to be chosen by my peers and the international executive board and to have the endorsement to run for president," King said.
King, who leads the union's Ford department, has been a UAW vice president since 1998.
After years of declining union membership and concessionary agreements, the UAW and the automotive industry have hit bottom and could grow now, Gettelfinger and King said.
The UAW has 430,000 members. At its peak in the 1970s, the union had 1.5 million members.
Contact BRENT SNAVELY: 313-222-6512 or bsnavely@freepress.com
Gettelfinger upbeat, confident in successor's readiness to lead union
BY BRENT SNAVELY
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
Comments (30) Recommend Print E-mail Letter to the editor Share CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story had an incorrect title for Cindy Estrada. Her correct title is director of the UAW National Organizing Department. This report is correct.
An upbeat and nostalgic Ron Gettelfinger, who is stepping down as UAW president in the coming year, said Wednesday he is confident that longtime friend and colleague Bob King will do a masterful job as his replacement.
PLACE AN AD ON FREEP.COM
"We forced him" to accept the nomination, Gettelfinger joked as he addressed journalists at a news conference at the Dearborn Hyatt. "He's the best guy on the board. The board got behind him and said 'Bob! Bob! Bob!' "
King, 63, received the unanimous support of the UAW's board and administrative caucus to be elected as the next president at the union's constitutional convention in Detroit next June. Then, he is to focus on trying to rebuild the union after years of retrenchment from the industry's decline.
"We will collectively ... put together a plan and a strategy ... based on the great work that Ron has done," King said.
Gettelfinger, 65, said he hasn't made retirement plans, but has been reading about the late UAW president Douglas Fraser's work lobbying Congress for Chrysler aid in 1979.
King set to take UAW presidency
It's King's UAW now.
He received the unanimous support of the union's board of directors and administrative caucus on Wednesday to be the union's nominee for UAW president at a constitutional convention next June in Detroit.
"There is no question in my mind Bob King will be the right person to lead the union forward," Gettelfinger said during a news conference on Wednesday. "He is relentless and tenacious."
While other candidates can be nominated for the presidency at the convention, the practice is viewed as a mere formality.
Gettelfinger has served as president for two terms and is too old to seek re-election according to UAW rules.
The UAW on Tuesday also announced that secretary-treasurer Elizabeth Bunn, along with vice president Cal Rapson, will retire. Meanwhile, vice presidents Jimmy Settles and General Holiefield have been nominated for re-election.
New nominees to become top leaders for the UAW include Dennis Williams, a UAW director in Chicago, Joe Ashton, also a regional director, and Cindy Estrada, the director of the UAW National Organizing Department.
While Williams is nominated to become the next secretary-treasurer, Gettelfinger said King will decide how to divide up the duties after the June convention.
King offered few clues about his agenda.
"It's very humbling to be chosen by my peers and the international executive board and to have the endorsement to run for president," King said.
King, who leads the union's Ford department, has been a UAW vice president since 1998.
After years of declining union membership and concessionary agreements, the UAW and the automotive industry have hit bottom and could grow now, Gettelfinger and King said.
The UAW has 430,000 members. At its peak in the 1970s, the union had 1.5 million members.
Contact BRENT SNAVELY: 313-222-6512 or bsnavely@freepress.com