Bush Bails Out the Auto Industry, Screws the American Worker

The President of the United States just dictated that American corporations pay their employees significantly less than the employees of foreign owned manufacturers. And/or, he dictated that American corporations pick the pocket of their senior retirees.

That's the take-away of the bailout plan, which is basically the Bob Corker plan dressed up, through sleight of hand, as a majority-supported legislation. As Bush notes, some of this bailout was supported by a majority of the House, at least. 

Binding Terms and Conditions: The binding terms and conditions established by the Treasury will mirror those that were voted favorably by a majority of both Houses of Congress, including:

• Firms must provide warrants for non-voting stock.
• Firms must accept limits on executive compensation and eliminate perks such as corporate jets.

Debt owed to the government would be senior to other debts, to the extent permitted by law.

Firms must allow the government to examine their books and records.

Firms must report and the government has the power to block any large transactions (> $100 M).

Firms must comply with applicable Federal fuel efficiency and emissions requirements.

Firms must not issue new dividends while they owe government debt.

Yet then Bush throws in the demands that Republicans made--without noting that this was basically an ideological ploy to break the union, all the while demanding that employees of American-owned companies make significantly less than the employees of Japanese-owned companies.