WASHINGTON, DC -- SEIU President Andy Stern issued the following statement today regarding the negotiations of a bailout of the Big Three automakers:

"Today, amidst global economic insecurity, members of Congress and the White House are debating how and how much taxpayers will come to the aid of America's ailing auto industry. We stand together at a moment when change is no longer on the horizon but determined by the choices we make each day. This bailout gives us the opportunity to not just rescue another failing industry but to imagine how our next steps could be part of wider economic solutions that will benefit all working families.

"First and foremost, the auto executives could join efforts to reform our failing health care system. Ours is the only major economy on earth that puts the price of health care on the cost of our products--a reality that eats away at the competitiveness of American cars in the global marketplace. For years, the voice of the Big Three has been silent in the call for Congress to pass affordable, quality health care for all Americans. By breaking contractual agreements and leaving workers without access to health care, the automakers have cut costs at the expense of the hardworking men and women who built their companies. It is not too late for the auto executives to ask Congress to shoulder some portion of health care for retirees until national health care is achieved--a step that would relieve the automakers of a major cost and extend benefits to individuals who need expanded health care benefits.

"Secondly, the United States should replace its gas-guzzling and aging fleet with fuel efficient cars produced by the Big Three. By pre-ordering and pre-paying for more vehicles built to a specification that guarantees considerably higher fuel efficiency, the government could simultaneously support the industry, create demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles, reduce carbon-emissions and take steps toward greening the economy.

"Finally, the auto executives should drop expensive and backward-looking emissions lawsuits against states like California and instead encourage adoption of tougher national emissions standards. This would level the playing field for automakers and position them as part of the solution--rather than part of the problem--as our nation faces an undeniable and monumental climate change crisis.

"We now know from unfortunate experience that change is inevitable, but progress is optional. If taxpayers are going to be asked to invest in $15 billion or more in bridge loans to keep the industry afloat, the package must include serious taxpayer protections, limits on executive pay, and a strong hand for Congress and the White House in shaping and implementing the immediate restructuring necessary to restore the competitiveness of these three engines of the American economy."

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