In 2002, Gettelfinger was chosen to be the President of the United Auto Workers union; he was re-elected in 2006 and opted not to seek re-election in 2010. He is heavily involved in politics and doesn’t shy away from publicly speaking out about his views. While with UAW, the union lobbied for fair trade and criticized the need for corporations to seek the cheapest labor possible. During his time as president, the union was involved in several contentious negotiations with Ford. He believes in a single-payer health care system for the U.S. and served as an elector for Barack Obama in 2008.
