Premise: The Obama administration has told Chrysler it would provide as much as $6 billion in new financing, on top of the $4 billion in loans it has already given the company, if Chrysler could complete a deal by next Thursday with a cost structure that gives it a chance of survival. The creditors have, so far, balked at the terms suggested by the Treasury Department. But the negotiations have taken a new direction. Treasury now has an agreement in principle with the UAW, whose members' pensions and retiree health care benefits would be protected in the event of a bankruptcy filing, said the people with knowledge of the discussions. Moreover, under this scenario, Fiat would complete its alliance with Chrysler while the company is under bankruptcy protection.
Hypothesis: Chrysler's creditors were possibly changing their stance on the terms suggested by the Treasury Department.