Deployed Guardsmen thanks His Employer this Holiday Season

United Auto Workers Signs Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve

(Detroit, MI, March 17, 2008) – The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR), an agency of the Department of Defense, announced that Ron Gettelfinger, United Auto Workers President, signed a Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve on March 17, 2008 at Solidarity House in Detroit, Michigan. The UAW represents thousands of workers who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. The UAW joins leading employers and labor organizations in signing the Statement, which pledges that:

We fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act (USERRA).
Our members and supervisors will have the tools they need to effectively serve in the Guard and Reserve.
We will continually recognize and support our country’s service members and their families in peace, in crises and in war.

“We are proud to support our members who choose to serve in the National Guard and Reserve,” said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. “Federal law, as well as our UAW-negotiated contracts, protect the job and seniority rights of workers who need time off the job to meet their military obligations. It’s the least we can do to support the extraordinary men and women who serve our country.”

According to The Honorable Thomas Hall, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, “The UAW is joining many of our nation’s leading employers and labor organizations that pledge support for our troops. A Statement of Support serves two very vital functions: First, it demonstrates the strong level of support for our Guard and Reserve, which is important during this critical time. Second, it sends a clear message to the service members that while they’re serving their country, they do not have to worry about their civilian jobs.”

“Ron Gettelfinger and the UAW have taken the lead by demonstrating their commitment to our Guard and Reserve forces”, Secretary Hall added. “By signing a Statement of Support, the UAW and Mr. Gettelfinger are making a valuable contribution to the quality of life for all UAW represented employees who serve in the Reserve Components and to our national defense effort”.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972. The mission of ESGR is to gain and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service by recognizing outstanding support, increasing awareness of the law, and resolving conflicts through informal mediation. ESGR volunteers provide free education, consultation, and if necessary mediation for employers of Guard and Reserve employees.

As the 1.3 million members of the National Guard and Reserve continue to perform an increasing number of unique missions that require extraordinary actions on the part of everyday citizens, ESGR will continue to be the informational agency for the employers of citizen warriors. More information about ESGR Employer Outreach Programs and volunteer opportunities is available at www.esgr.mil, or by calling Gary Aten, Executive Director of the Michigan Committee for ESGR at 517-323-7731.