In the News: Corker’s efforts in car crisis

Senator Corker was mentioned in the following editorial in the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

Chattanooga Times Free Press: (Free Press Editorial): Corker’s efforts in car crisis
December 16, 2008

Anyone who ever tried to break up a playground fight between two school boys is surely aware that he may get hit from both sides. Well, Chattanooga’s Sen. Bob Corker has experienced something like that in recent days as he has tried to work out a peace agreement to save the going-broke U.S. car companies and the United Auto Workers employees who are threatened with losing their jobs.

Along with some criticism, however, as a freshman United States senator exercising notable leadership, Sen. Corker has earned some praise, too.

Last week he was tenacious in hearings involving the big U.S. auto companies which were pleading for U.S. taxpayers’ money to bail them out so they can survive — maybe.

He was also tough in proposing pay cuts for the UAW — which has pay-and-benefits costs of about $73 an hour compared with about $43 at hour at the “foreign” auto plants hiring American workers in the United States.

Sen. Corker met at length with representatives of the car companies, the union, Democrats and Republicans, trying to work out a solution to keep the U.S. car companies alive and to save thousands of jobs for the Americans who work for them, and for many other companies that are suppliers.

Last Thursday night, for example, Sen. Corker worked with UAW President Ron Gettelfinger in an effort to arrive at UAW cost concessions to keep all involved alive. They reportedly came close — but not close enough. Sen. Corker urged pay concessions in 2009, while the UAW president insisted they should not come till 2011.

If nothing is done before then, one or more of the U.S. car companies may be gone.

Sen. Corker holed up behind closed doors for seven hours Dec. 11 with the Democrats’ top Senate negotiator, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., the Banking Committee chairman, and with car company and union representatives.

Sen. Corker said he thought at one time they were only “three words” away from a deal to save the jobs of the American workers and the American companies. “Had we agreed on a date, any date that’s reasonable, I think it would have passed the Senate with 90 votes,” Sen. Corker said.

But the UAW would not agree.

Even Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said: “I’ve been extremely impressed with Bob Corker.”

Democrat Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Senate Democrat, said Sen. Corker did a “magnificent job.”

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said: “I’m hard-pressed to think of another member who’s been here such a short period of time who’s made such an impression on colleagues of both sides of the aisle.”

So along with getting hard knocks from both sides of he union-management conflict, Sen. Corker has received some deserved praise from both Democrats and Republicans for his efforts.

Unfortunately, time is clicking away — and the U.S. car companies and their U.S. employees are in danger of a catastrophic collapse that would hurt not only them but the whole American economy.

No one can say Sen. Corker has not been a leader in trying to save all of us from terribly painful consequences.

Copyright ©2008, Chattanooga Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

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