Delphi retiree feels 'disheartened and betrayed' about missing benefits

But when Dykes retired in 2003, it was as a Delphi retiree — and that became a problem.

Dykes spent the last four years of his career working for the auto parts producer. Now, the 68-year-old faces a future without company-backed health care and life insurance benefits and a monthly pension controlled by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., a pension that in all likelihood will be greatly reduced.

He’s not the only one. There are an estimated 700 people just like him in the Dayton area — retirees who worked for Delphi as salaried employees.

This winter, Delphi first moved to cut health and life insurance benefits for salaried retirees. Then, in August, Delphi relinquished salaried and hourly pensions to the federally backed PBGC, which warned that once it calculates what it is legally obligated to pay, those pension payments may be cut.

One difference between salaried and hourly retirees is that GM has pledged to make up any pension shortfall to its hourly Delphi retirees. Another difference is that hourly retirees younger than 65 retain health care coverage, albeit with higher costs.

“I feel disheartened and betrayed,” said Tom Rose, a Kettering resident who had a 39-year career — 30 years with GM and nine with Delphi.

All the retirees started their careers with GM or what was then a GM division. All today are retirees of a company that recently left four years of bankruptcy protection. They say they lack any contractual shield or the political heft of unions.

“They’re the ones getting hosed,” said Den Black, who worked for GM for 34 years, Delphi for two years and finds himself classified a Delphi retiree.

Black, a Piqua native now living in Virginia Beach, Va., finds himself leading a group of about 6,000 salaried Delphi retirees called the Delphi Salaried Retirees Association (DSRA).

The association formed after Delphi sent its salaried retirees letters in February telling them the auto parts producer intended to end their health and life insurance benefits. A federal bankruptcy judge in New York City allowed the move.

“We do not oppose what the union retirees received,” Rose said. But he contends that GM “had opportunity to be fair and equitable and chose not to. Period.”