DetFP: Unions irate over Delphi's new offer (massive cuts)

http://www.freep.com/money/autonews/delphi22e_20051022.htm

Unions irate over Delphi's new offer

BY TOM WALSH and JASON ROBERSON
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITERS

October 22, 2005


Delphi Corp. delivered a proposal to its labor unions Friday that calls for deep wage and benefit cuts, sparking an immediate howl of protest from the UAW. "Delphi's proposal is designed to hasten the dismantling of America's middle class by importing Third World wages to the United States," UAW President Ron Gettelfinger and Vice President Richard Shoemaker said in a statement Friday afternoon.


Neither the UAW officials nor Steve Miller, chief executive officer of the automotive supplier, now in Chapter 11 bankruptcy, would reveal details. But Miller said the package was similar to the sharp concessions Delphi sought from the UAW prior to filing for bankruptcy Oct. 8, which include wages as low as $10 an hour, which would be a cut of about 60% for some workers.


"I think that it's ridiculous," said Todd Jordan, who works at a Delphi electronics plant in Kokomo, Ind. "The problem is that we have a living standard based on this $26 an hour, and right now we're living within our means. Now we're going to have to file for bankruptcy." Jordan said he has a pregnant wife and a 6-year-old daughter who depend on his income.


A message posted Friday on a Web site of another large Delphi union, the International Union of Electrical Workers, said the company wants to eliminate 5,500 of its 8,500 IUE workers through plant sales, closings, retirements and layoffs. Delphi said it plans to close six of the 10 facilities represented by the IUE, the union said. The message said Delphi also proposed lowering wages to $9-$10 an hour for production workers and dropping dental and vision coverage.

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Two articles fill the above-the-fold area of the front page of today's Detroit Free Press. Here's a peek at the second one:



http://www.freep.com/features/living/prepare22e_20051022.htm

HOW 1 METRO DETROIT HOUSEHOLD SAVES: Cutting back to get by

As income falls, family scrutinizes expenses, redefines needs

October 22, 2005


BY MARGARITA BAUZA
FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER


The days when Molly MacDonald spent freely on lattes, summer camps, haircuts and impulse purchases at Somerset Collection are long gone.

-snip-

"It's not just the poor that are suffering," Metzger said. "With layoffs and cutbacks, unemployment doesn't show the people who are working part-time instead of full-time. I don't think we've seen close to what we're going to see in the next few months.


"People are living off credit cards, remortgaging and maxing out credit cards," he added. "I think many people out there are one paycheck away from being homeless. There's a lot hidden the numbers don't show."

-snip-

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these workers are one of the biggest anti welfare, anti poor supporters of bushco. A few years ago when my state was running a re-call effort on the Governor who was republican, after he gutted the welfare program here and made it so only women with children were able to enroll, the Delphi workers went out of their way to try to block people from signing the petition. I know in the GM city of saginaw mi. that the majority of Delphi and GM workers there voted solid republican because they said the republicans were looking out for them and they got their taxes lowered.

Its sad they choose to ignore facts and go with the bushco lies, but when you vote against your own self interests, well you deserve what you vote for.The union might be the biggest Democratic supporters, but the rank and file members seldom vote the way the union suggest they vote.

The real sad part of this is when Delphi closes its doors, the city will die. Every business will take a big hit because the GM dollar supports the whole city. I predicted this about a year ago and put it on the local news forum and was told that Delphi and GM wouldn't do that to their loyal workers. Mostly those that said that were either GM, Delphi workers and city workers, well all I can say is you made your bed enjoy sleeping on it.

Yes, and guess all those folks in MI going down the tubes will eventually get a taste of their own tough love medicine. This is the ultimate in karma, you think?

always used. Unfortunately, it's all too successful with liberals and conservatives alike.

I wish I were kidding but I am not.

repubs get their comeuppance. I'm just a little disgusted with DU today. :evilfrown:

will help these unions put their foot down. they should make it their business to flush delphi. make an example of them. especially these guys who are using bankruptcy to wiggle out of their union contracts.

or if the agreement will even be signed, but from what I have heard, at first it was thought the union had given in. This doesn't seem to be the case though. Wages won't be cut, nor will insurance coverage. Instead the workers in all GM plants will fore go a raise next year+ a % of their cola will be put into an insurance fund. Retirees will pay around $380 for insurance co-pays next year. This is temporary fix for now as contracts will come up soon. Too many of the GM whiners did vote Repig and they are now paying for it. Let's not go too easy on them. They do need to see which side butters their bread. As for the Whiner who was discussed in the article, I don't feel a bit sorry for him. The union has been steadily moving the Delphi workers around to productive plants for the past year. It might have meant going out of state but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. It's my guess he decided to stay with the new hires and now he is whining. The article was deceptive and I believe a GM plant to gather sympathy for the perps(GM) although they did mention the workers plight somewhat.