The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

House members urge restoration of pensions for Delphi retirees

Asphalt can only be sealed; only concrete is resurfaced
10:43 a.m.
Dollar stores get wider range of customers
10:32 a.m.
Honda gets a double-shot of good consumer news
10:30 a.m.
Anthem puts emphasis on quality
10:29 a.m.
UD researcher uses know-how to photograph local eagles
5/25/12
> More headlines

By Thomas Gnau, Staff Writer Updated 8:45 PM Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Wednesday urged legislation that would pay all Delphi retirees their full pensions.

“These Delphi retirees are entitled to these benefits,” said U.S. Rep. Mike Turner, R-Centerville, a member of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. “These benefits were wrongly taken from them.”

The committee is examining the implications of the federal government’s assistance to GM, which helped the automaker restructure in bankruptcy two years ago.

In particular, some members asked why United Auto Workers retirees enjoy full pension payments thanks to a contract between the UAW and GM. Meanwhile, members of other unions as well as salaried Delphi retirees saw pension cuts as Delphi passed its pension obligations to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., which handles private-sector pension issues.

“I’d like to know why the salaried employees got chopped up so badly,” U.S. Rep. Dan Burton, R-Indiana, asked Ron Bloom, who advised the Obama administration on assisting GM.

Bloom replied that a salaried retirees’ lawsuit against the government prevented him from commenting at length, but he acknowledged that some stakeholders received “far, far less than they were promised.”

Bailout proponents argued that the government’s actions were necessary.

“If the federal government had not come to GM’s aid, the firm would have been liquidated,” said Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland.

Thousands of local Delphi salaried retirees have been affected. Tom Rose, a Washington Twp. Delphi retiree, said his pension has been cut by 40 percent.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2390 or tgnau@DaytonDailyNews.com.

Share this article