And those federal masters will capitulate to the unions.  The unions need that money.  Not for pensions, but for continued lobbying efforts and posturing for what will be the Armageddon of politics come November.  Who would make sure the presumably defunded pensions will get the money anyhow? The union's partner, Barry Obama?

No..  A $billion is a $billion.. and half will go to political efforts.  Strangely, it isn't even all of the money the unions seek from the company they "own":

He points out that much of the fourth-quarter loss was due to one-time items, such as a $2.6 billion settlement loss related to the UAW retiree medical plan. Without those one-time items, the loss would have been closer to $600 million in the quarter.

Pretty sweet deal the UAW has worked out..

Force the company the UAW members work for, into bankruptcy, massage the political process to elect leadership that will "take ownership" in private business, then give a large chunk back to the union for presumed "obligations", and the remainder of the obligations can be "milked out" through other lawsuits, so that the Union itself remains fat, and the workers live off unemployment and STILL pay the taxes to complete the full circle jerk of the unholy Union/Government relationship.