Ron Gettelfinger, the president of the United Automobile Workers union, and Rick Wagoner, the chief executive of General Motors, may seem to be at opposite ends of the automotive spectrum. But as the union and the company tried to reach agreement on a new contract over the weekend and avoid a strike, some notable similarities between the men became apparent. Both are running institutions that once dominated the American automobile industry but have been diminished as Japanese companies have made deep inroads here. Both have devoted their careers to the organizations they run. Each generally displays a steady exterior but can show flashes of temper when events do not go his way.
See "Though Adversaries, Auto Talk Leaders Have Much in Common", Micheline Maynard, The New York Times, September 16, 2007