Tough words for sure, but what does it mean?

NY Times - Dec 12

On Thursday night, Senator Corker, a freshman Republican from Tennessee, pushed the U.A.W.’s president, Ron Gettelfinger, to agree in principle to tough contract concessions before the Senate Republicans would agree to provide a lifeline to General Motors and Chrysler.
But Mr. Gettelfinger, after giving ground in recent years on health care, job security and pay issues, would not agree to let the concessions take effect next year. The impasse effectively killed the chances for a $14 billion bailout package from Congress.

“They thought that they had a two-fer: pierce the heart of organized labor, while representing the foreign manufacturers,” Mr. Gettelfinger said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/13/bu...exprod=myyahoo

How will this turn out?

Will the UAW agree to dates in 09 for the concessions?

OR

Will the Congress or the Whitehouse agree to wait for concessions from the UAW till 2010 or 2011?

Does it matter?