"We've made a lot of sacrifices" to make sure General Motors survives, United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger just told Morning Edition co-host Renee Montagne.

In an interview that will air on ME shortly, Gettelfinger said that among the things his union has given in on as GM enters bankruptcy are collective bargaining concessions, modifications to the health care plan for retirees and a promise not to strike in the immediate future.

"I don't think anybody ever truly believed it would come to this," Gettelfinger added, referring to the automaker's filing for Chapter 11 protection.

As for the prospect of U.S. automakers being able to convince U.S. consumers to buy smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, Gettelfinger said the price of gasoline will be a large factor — and that the trend makes it likely smaller cars will start to sell again.

"I don't think any of us can realistically expect gasoline prices to stay lower," he said.

Also looking into the future, Gettelfinger said of GM that "it's going to be a much smaller company than any of us had envisioned" — but also predicted that "they're going to regain a bit of market share."

Update at 10:35 a.m. ET. Here's a clip from the Gettelfinger interview: