This is a crosspost from the Detroit News by UAW President Bob King.

If there is one thing that UAW members and leaders have had to understand and deal with it is the concept of being  competitive in the global economic marketplace in which we all now operate.

Our members have accepted major changes in their workplaces and in their contracts to make the companies in which we work fully competitive and successful globally.

In studying the global economy, it is clear to me, in manufacturing in particular, that for a nation and its businesses and workers to succeed in the global marketplace, there must be a new high level of collaboration and cooperation by  employers and management, workers and their unions and the government.

I am concerned that the current extremist leadership of the Republican Party does not understand this concept of collaboration and cooperation. Many days I wonder whether they care if the United States will be globally competitive in the 21st century.

Every major country, both developed and developing, with whom we are competing or will soon be competing, has a far greater appreciation of the need to have a strong manufacturing base and the of the strong, proactive role that government needs to play in building and maintaining that manufacturing base.

One of the most important roles government must play to ensure a strong manufacturing base is that of helping to develop a skilled, flexible work force by providing an excellent public education system to prepare and train the workers of tomorrow.

Almost universally, extremist Republican leadership is attacking and weakening our public education system by constantly enacting more and more cuts in funding for our schools, both in K-12 and in our great public universities and community colleges.

Some also attack and vilify our teachers, the great majority of whom are dedicated public servants working in overcrowded classrooms without sufficient resources.

I have the greatest respect for teachers in urban areas who not only are working in overcrowded classrooms but who also work with many students who come in the door every morning from very difficult family situations. These family situations are made worse by the Great Recession. Some of the students are suffering from being jobless or even homeless.

A caring, spiritual nation reaches out and supports its most vulnerable citizens, especially its children.

I encourage citizens who care about our children, who care about the United States being globally competitive, and who believe that we have a moral and spiritual responsibility to aid the most vulnerable in our society, to get active.

We must advocate as strongly as we can that [Michigan] Gov. Rick Snyder and those governors and state legislatures who are cutting funding to public education restore full funding to our schools.

Tell them to stop stealing from our children to give more and more to corporations and the wealthiest in society. Tell them to stop destroying the competitiveness of the United States.

Tell them that in 2012 you will remember those who looked out for all of society and those who only took care of the most well off.