UAW President Gets Down To Business

NOTE: Jeff Gilbert will be covering Bob King's appearance today. For instant updates, follow his Twitter feed here.

DETROIT (WWJ) -- With just over two weeks to go before his union's contract deadline with the domestic three auto companies, UAW President Bob King is set to talk to the Detroit area's largest business organization today, the Detroit Economic Club.

While King is very likely to be asked about the ongoing contract talks, that's not the published topic of the speech.

"UAW President Bob King will discuss rebuilding the American middle class by rebuilding the U.S. manufacturing base and restoring workers' right to organize for collective bargaining," is how written material from the Economic Club described the topic for King's speech..

King has made it a point to reach out to business leaders. He's spoken to the Mackinac Policy Conference, and appeared twice at the Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City. But, it's highly unusual for a UAW president to make a high profile public appearance during the stretch run of contract talks.

Following the lead of previous UAW President's, King has repeatedly said he wouldn't "negotiate in public." But, speaking with reporters in Traverse City earlier this month, he indicated that annual raises were not very likely.

"Do our members deserve base rate increases, absolutely," he said. "But, I would argue in today's world it's income increases they deserve."

Neither the union nor the companies have commented on persistent reports that talks are a head of schedule, with the GM talks moving faster than those at the other two companies.

King has said that he'd like to settle the contracts before the September 14th deadline, if that's possible. He's also said the union would keep negotiating with all three companies simultaneously, and not hone in on one as a lead company that gets to set the pattern.

This would traditionally be around the time that a lead company is chosen.

Things are complicated this year by the fact that the union can only strike at Ford, and is required to submit to binding arbitration, if deals can't be reached at GM and Chrysler.

King has said that he doesn't want a strike, and would consider arbitration a failure. In Traverse City, he said he felt all involved are committed to getting a deal rewards workers, while keeping the companies competitive.

"We've got to be smart and creative in finding ways to increase base income, without creating a competitive disadvantage."