NBC's Gregory repeatedly asked GM CEO about cutting union benefits and jobs, but not about making fuel-efficient cars

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Written by Morgan Weiland

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On Meet the Press, David Gregory repeatedly asked General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson about cutting union benefits or jobs, but did not ask Henderson a single question about creating fuel efficient or environmentally friendly cars.

During an April 5 interview with General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson, Meet the Press host David Gregory repeatedly asked Henderson about cutting union benefits or jobs, but did not ask Henderson a single question about creating fuel-efficient or environmentally friendly cars. Among the questions Gregory asked Henderson was the following: “The legacy costs, meaning all of the costs associated with union employees, part of the United Auto Workers, is just a huge issue for General Motors. The government report indicates that in order to pay those retired auto workers, GM has to produce an extra 900,000 cars every year. What is the message to the union now? Doesn't it have to be 'those days are over'?”

From the April 5 edition of NBC's Meet the Press:

GREGORY: The legacy costs, meaning all of the costs associated with union employees, part of the United Auto Workers, is just a huge issue for General Motors. The government report indicates that in order to pay those retired auto workers, GM has to produce an extra 900,000 cars every year. What is the message to the union now? Doesn't it have to be “those days are over”?

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GREGORY: Well, let's talk about how you can do more. How many union jobs are there in a typical factory for General Motors that have nothing to do with producing an automobile?

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GREGORY: But in some factories, you have a shop steward who's responsible for appointing -- whether it's a civil rights chief or an education person -- these are all union jobs that don't have anything to do with producing the car.

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GREGORY: You have told health-care managers and executives over 65 that they no longer get health-care benefits. They have to revert at that point to Medicare. Is it time for union workers to accept that same limit?

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GREGORY: But do you think that's the kind of cut that the union should have to accept?

[...]

GREGORY: Do you really expect this president, given how strongly supported he is by the unions, do you really expect him to take a step that would hurt the unions?