You're close but here is what seems to be going on.
GM's majority of stock is owned by two entities, the UAW and the US Government as you know.
What is being talked about right now is how to market the stock in such a way as to get the best return on their investment - meaning the UAW and the FOO group (Friends of Obama, which includes a lot of Czars who have had financial waivers signed).
Now you may have noticed that all the reports, numbers and so on have been inflated as it is the case when someone is getting ready for an IPO, take for instance Google. All the signs point to this, and after hearing Henderson's interview with the Germans, I am inclined to say the reason they are not moving the executive staff out (old guard) is they sold their souls to the devil to make a cr*p load of money through stock options and if the company fails in any way, they will take the fall - it is a bet that the company will not fail but become more marginalized in the near future after the IPO takes place.
Now the bet is this, the UAW and the FOO group are betting that the initial price will go up a lot when it hits the market, for the UAW it will be a windfall because that stock funds their retiree's health care system and for the FOO group, it will be fat bonuses, one of them new Chinese made hummers in the drive and another 10,000 sq ft house.
Now if the health care thing passes before this, the UAW will no doubt scramble to do one of two things; either get aligned with some health care management group to take over the 'health care' for the retirees (can you spell HMO) or start forcing people to take the government option as a supplement for Medicare, altogether eliminating the need to fund any retiree system - hence get the money back into the general operating fund of the union.
Does that make sense?
It has nothing to do with jobs, the UAW rank and file are a lost cause, this union has expanded into other industries, even stepping into the teamsters world and this all has to do with BIG BIG money to be made and the execs of the UAW walking away with millions.