We are keenly aware of the interconnections between our Company and its employees, business partners and the communities in which we operate. Our investment in manufacturing facilities and our employment of hundreds of thousands of people has helped to build and sustain vibrant, stable communities. We value this contribution, so it is painful to restructure our North American operations. Because of our commitment to our employees and communities, it is critical that we handle the downsizing in a responsible way. Some of the steps we have taken to do this are detailed below.

During 2007, we continued to offer UAW-represented hourly employees the opportunity to leave the Company. As an incentive, we offered these employees eight different voluntary packages to select from, including four traditional offers (such as early retirement) and four innovative programs designed to help employees' transition to new jobs requiring new skills.

For example, Ford offered specialized support to employees who elect to separate from the Company to attend college. Pursuant to our Educational Opportunity Program, hourly U.S. employees with at least one year of service were eligible for up to $15,000 in tuition reimbursement per year for up to four years, paid directly to an approved college or vocational school. The program also offered an annual stipend worth about 50 percent of the employee's annualized straight-time wage rate and continued health insurance and various other benefits while the employee was enrolled in the program. (Further details of this plan and the full list of offers to hourly employees are available here.)