And Now It's Ford

Not surprisingly, Ford is now seeking concessions from the CAW to match those given GM and Chrysler. What might seem more surprising is the openness of union president Ken Lewenza, who is quoted by the Detroit News as saying

We will have to look at Ford operations and make sure the CAW is not a deterrent to future investment," he said. "We will do due diligence on that in the next few months.

Perhaps the key to understanding this is the fear that Ford may follow its competitors into bankruptcy. GM and Chrysler will emerge from this process without many of the costs and debts that Ford will continue to carry, and the company may face real pressure to follow a similar route to remain competitive.

Moreover, it will look on the subsidies given to its rivals and conclude that the same may be available to it.