UAW Quietly Supports Tax Cut Compromise

While many of President Obama's supporters have criticized his compromise on tax cuts, the United Auto Workers Union has very quietly endorsed the plan.

The Union hasn't made a public statement of support, but UAW Legislative Director Barbara Somson has written a letter to members of Congress, asking them to support the deal reached between the President and Republicans.

"While we are disappointed by the inclusion of costly income and estate tax giveaways to the wealthiest Americans, the UAW urges you to vote for this less than perfect compromise," reads the letter, which is on the White House web site, but not on the union's web site.

(Read the UAW letter on the White House web site.)

The letter talks about the importance of extending unemployment benefits, which is a part of the compromise. It also praises tax cuts for lower income Americans, and parts of the plan which aim to stimulate the economy.

The union is very critical of a temporary rollback of a planned increase in the inheritance tax, and the plan to extend tax cuts to higher income Americans, which the letter calls, "overly generous to Americans who already have a disproportionate share of the nation's income."

The UAW letter, however, concluding that overall, the union needed to throw its support behind the compromise.

"Taken together, despite the misguided tax provisions benefiting the very wealthiest and least deserving Americans, the UAW believes the agreement will provide urgently needed support to working families, to displaced workers, to low-income Americans, and to the nation's economy."