DETROIT - UAW President Ron Gettelfinger kicked off contract talks yesterday with General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. by saying the union is not just fighting for autoworkers - but for a way of life that seems to be slipping away for the middle class.

"There’s no question that the gap you have between the rich and the poor continues to widen. We’re watching the evaporation of the middle class," Gettelfinger said during a news conference at Ford headquarters. "It’s not just about us. These negotiations are about everybody. … We’re bargaining for our country as a whole."

The current UAW national contract with the three automakers expires Sept. 14.

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