Face The Nation: Rep. Debbie Dingell

Interview

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Yes, it's far more significant. And I will tell you why.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Those days were -- these companies were facing bankruptcy. And, quite frankly, it was because of management decisions. And the autoworkers were scared for their jobs, and they stepped up and they gave away their cost of living increases to help. They gave in 2008 and 2009.

Now the companies are back in a strong position. But, really, where the rubber hits the road, Margaret, we are in a transition of this industry. We're competing in a world marketplace, that we are -- some of the countries in Europe, you will see, in the last quarter, the electric vehicle sales are more than 50 percent of the sales.

That's what we're competing in. And we have to make sure the worker is part of this transition. It should not be either/or. It needs to be both. We have got to make sure the worker can afford to buy that electric vehicle...

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

... that they're going to have the support that they do. And we have got to make sure we're paying a fair and decent wage.

And all workers, everybody in this country benefits when workers are paid well.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

The -- well, I mean, that is something that's very real. And on the table right now is, really, there's probably only one battery plant that may be under the master agreement.

We have got to -- it's not an easy question. It's not easy to deal with. And I also want to say something else that everybody doesn't understand. They're -- yes, Tesla does have a huge discrepancy in what they're paying their employees. And most people in this country can't afford a Tesla.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Even a lot of executives can't afford to buy a Tesla.

But the fact of the matter is that most -- at a Toyota -- I have looked at the studies. Almost all workers at auto plants benefit from where these negotiations go. This is where the rubber hits the road. We have got to figure out how we're going to do this transition, how we're going to go from the transition of an internal combustion engine, which -- and pay people who are making that battery a decent wage, similar to what they're making for ICE.

And there are going to be new jobs and different jobs that are going to come from this transition. But it's not a talking point moment

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

This is a real, intentional, hard moment.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

First of all, I do not believe that the president should intervene or be at the negotiating table. I have said that from the beginning.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

But, you know, if anything that the pandemic has just taught us is that, like, who's in an office and who's working.

I talk to Gene Sperling multiple times a day and have all summer. So, there are -- I don't think they have got a role at the negotiating table. I think every one of us that are policymakers and other stakeholders need to understand what these issues are, what we can do to support those discussions at the table, and what we need to do coming out of these to help make a strong, viable, competitive industry that's employing American jobs.

And I'm not going to let these electric vehicles be built in China, even though someone else says they want to build 100 percent in China. I'm fighting to make sure they're here with good-paying American jobs.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

You know, I'm -- well, first of all, he's also said that Donald Trump's -- would be a disaster, and I could go into that at length.

But I really have to tell you that I think that we have got to keep these two issues totally separate. I'm really worried about what's happening at the table, and that it's going to set -- it's going to -- it is going to determine the future of the auto industry in Michigan.

I want to keep presidential politics out of this and do what's right from a policy perspective. Then we can talk about the presidential election. Michigan's a competitive state. I keep telling you all it's a purple state. It's not a blue state.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

But when we get a good agreement that keeps America strong, keeps our workers strong, then I think they will know who they're going to support.

And they're going to support someone that supports the American worker.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

And that's somebody, by the way, that doesn't care about...

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Well, no, I mean, everybody's like, Donald Trump says he's going to swoop in and do a pickup.

I mean, he doesn't care about their pay raises. He doesn't care about COLA. He doesn't care about retirement. He doesn't care about pensions. He doesn't care. I mean, last time he campaigned in Michigan, he told the companies they should move to other states where they pay people less money.

So, I think that we all, as policymakers, need to understand the issues. How do we support this transition...

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

... so that we are staying competitive in this country?

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

... which is, make the workers part of the success.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source