King Elected UAW President; Union Wants Payback from Concessions

DETROIT - In newly elected UAW President Bob King, the auto industry has a pragmatist who's a seasoned organizer and advocate for global economic justice, Automotive News reported.

King, 63, won election today after a long roll call vote at the UAW national convention. That vote was required after dissident Gary Walkowicz of Ford Motor Co.'s Dearborn Truck plant entered the race for president to oppose additional concessions and fight for restoration of lost benefits.

King succeeds Ron Gettelfinger, 65, who is retiring after leading the union through two tumultuous four-year terms that culminated with last year's auto recession.

King caught flak throughout this week's convention for pushing additional concessions, including a no-strike clause, at Ford last autumn to bring the automaker's contract in pattern with better deals provided to General Motors and Chrysler. Both automakers reorganized under U.S. government-sponsored Chapter 11 bankruptcies last year.

The Ford agreement, however, was overwhelming defeated by Ford rank-and-file who anticipated the profits that Ford is now enjoying.

A trained lawyer, King has been a champion throughout his career of partnerships with parts suppliers to try to retain jobs in exchange for innovative contracts, including two-tier, lower wages for new hires, that the UAW accepted at the Detroit 3 during the 2007 master contract talks.

Walkowicz called that level of cooperation a losing strategy that ultimately has been divisive to the union.