• Financial Times, Thursday, April 16, 2009 10:45 AM

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is talking tough about Chrysler's unions and says he might take an active role in running the automaker if a deal goes though, John Reed reports. Analysts say Marchionne would be a solid Chrysler boss, given his track record turning around Fiat since 2004, but warn that the dual role could overstretch him.

Asked by the Toronto Globe and Mail if he might be willing to serve as Chrysler's CEO, Marchionne said: "Fundamentally, that's possible, but the title isn't important." He added: "What's important is that they hear me. It's possible that I will have to divide my time between running Fiat and running Chrysler."

Chrysler and the Obama administration's task force overseeing the auto industry's restructuring are pressing the carmaker's unions to bring labor costs down to those of foreign rivals in the U.S. and Canada, where it has three manufacturing plants.

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