Motoryzacja

WASHINGTON -- The president of the UAW says a mid-February deadline for General Motors and Chrysler to complete their restructuring plans may be "almost unattainable."

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said Wednesday he expects that discussions about union concessions with General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC will result in a plan by the Feb. 17 deadline set by the Bush administration.

Deadline day is here: General Motors Corp.'s UAW workers have until the end of today to decide whether to accept buyout and early retirement offers -- a crucial part of the automaker's restructuring plan. In February, GM offered a new round of packages to its 62,000 UAW members, aimed specifically at trying to get the 22,000 retirement-eligible workers to leave.

United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger says he is confident that a solution to the auto industry's financial crisis will emerge in Washington despite the Senate's defeat of a bailout bill.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who plans to retire next month, defended the 2007 concession allowing Chrysler, Ford and General Motors to pay new workers about half as much as their veteran line mates, saying, "We did what we had to do to get to tomorrow."