Auto workers' union: Obama thankful for election support

By Keith Laing - 11/09/12 05:18 PM ET

United Auto Workers union president Bob King said Friday that he received a call from President Obama thanking him for the union's role in his reelection.

The UAW endorsed Obama early in his campaign against Republican Mitt Romney, and the union helped drive attacks against the GOP nominee's opposition of the $80 billion of the U.S. auto industry.

In an email to UAW members, King said Obama was grateful for the union's help.

"Today President Obama called UAW President Bob King to personally thank all UAW members and activists for their great support in this election," the union said. "The president expressed how deeply he appreciates the UAW and our membership and expressed 'that we could not have done this without the UAW and its membership.'"

Exit polls in Ohio showed that nearly 60 percent of voters favored the loans that were given to General Motors and Chrysler in 2008 and 2009. The Obama campaign made the auto bailout a central issue in its pitch to Midwestern workers, and the issue dominated the closing days of the contentious campaign.