By Sharon Terlep Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES DETROIT -(Dow Jones)- General Motors Corp. (GM) hopes to mobilize a pool of more than half a million employees, retirees and auto dealers into a grass-roots campaign for a federal bailout of the U.S. auto industry.
The auto maker on Wednesday, in separate video broadcasts, urged dealers and employees to mail, email or call their federal lawmakers and urge them to support an aid package aimed at helping Detroit's Big Three survive a downturn threatening the survival of the domestic auto makers.
The moves came as Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on Wednesday said a $700 billion financial rescue program is not intended for the troubled domestic auto makers. However, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had delivered some hope to the auto industry with a statement on Tuesday that immediate action was needed and that the U.S. auto industry shouldn't be allowed to fail.
GM also included a link on one of its Web sites encouraging dealers, workers, retirees and "concerned Americans" to send electronic form letters to their senators and representatives.
"As we're in the midst of the deepest crisis our industry has ever faced, GM's priority is on seeking support from various U.S. government agencies and congressional leaders," GM Sales Chief Mark LaNeve wrote in a message to dealers that followed a Wednesday broadcast. "We need your help now to ask government officials to approve an additional loan package to help us deal with our current liquidity crisis.
"Today, I want you to take the time to contact your members of Congress to ask them to support America's domestic auto industry."
Earlier Wednesday, GM North American President Troy Clarke urged employees to take similar action, according to people who saw the broadcast. On a Web site called "GM Facts and Fiction," the auto maker included a link that will route a letter to local lawmakers.
"Email your friends and family and tell them they can be a part of history," the Web site urges.
In reaching out to its dealers, workers and former employees, GM is tapping an immense group of people with a vested interest in the auto maker's survival and who have been hit hard in recent months by turmoil in the industry. Dealers are going out of business, retirees are losing health coverage and hourly and salaried workers have been laid off by the thousands.
GM last week said it is running dangerously low on cash and could run out of money early next year without government intervention.
"Your elected officials must hear from all of us now on why this support is critical to our continuing the progress we began prior to the global financial crisis," LaNeve said in his letter.
-By Sharon Terlep, Dow Jones Newswires; 248-204-5532; sharon.terlep@dowjones.com.
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(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 12, 2008 16:58 ET (21:58 GMT)

Publié le 12 novembre 2008 Copyright © 2008 Dowjones