Wednesday, January 25, 2006
The union hopes the campaign is so popular that it has to order more signs.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
WARREN -- Workers at Delphi Packard Electric Systems don't want to be forgotten.
They figure 10,000 yard signs and a community rally Feb. 25 will keep their plight in people's minds as Delphi's bankruptcy case drags on.
The red-and-white signs also are meant to serve as a reminder of the huge impact Delphi has on the Mahoning Valley with its 3,800 hourly jobs, 1,200 salaried jobs and thousands of retirees.
Local 717 of the International Union of Electrical Workers has been using the "Our jobs, our dignity" slogan. For the signs, the union has added "our community."
"This community stands to be devastated with any significant job losses at Delphi," said Don Arbogast, Local 717 shop chairman. "The schools, fire departments, police departments and small businesses cannot survive the loss of this income."
Anyone who wants a sign can pick one up at the union hall at 2950 Sferra Ave. in Warren Commerce Park.
"We expect to order 10,000 more," said Kevin Hartill, union vice president.
The rally is scheduled for noon Feb. 25 at Courthouse Square in Warren. Speakers have not been confirmed but will include political and labor leaders, Arbogast said.
He said he hopes to have more people than attended a union rally in Dayton in December, which attracted an estimated 2,000 people.
Message to officials
Both the rally and the signs will show Delphi's corporate officials in Michigan and the bankruptcy court in New York that "this Valley cares about its workers," Arbogast said.
He said maintaining community support is important because Delphi's three-month-old bankruptcy case will not be resolved for some time.
He said, for example, that a resolution to Delphi's demands for big cuts in pay and benefits is at least months away. Delphi originally said it would seek court permission to void union contracts in December if the IUE and United Auto Workers didn't agree to concessions. It has since pushed that deadline back to Feb. 17.
No negotiations have started, however, Arbogast said. All that has occurred so far is some general discussions between senior UAW and Delphi officials, he said.
He said he doubts whether there will be any true negotiations before Feb. 17.
Arbogast said he thinks Delphi is waiting for its former parent company, General Motors Corp., to decide how much it will be involved in Delphi's restructuring. If GM is signaling to Delphi that the automaker will take responsibility for paying some of Delphi's health care and pension obligations, then negotiations could be pushed back again, he said.
If Delphi does file for permission to void its contracts, a series of legal filings and hearings would be held before the judge would rule, Arbogast said.
IUE officials are in no hurry to negotiate with Delphi because they are happy with their contract, which expires in October 2007, he said.
Steve Miller, Delphi chief executive, said in a speech last week that he hoped talks with GM and the union would lead to a "soft landing," the Automotive News said.
He added that workers didn't cause Delphi's financial difficulties but sacrifices were necessary. The trade publication said his tone was much softer than last fall when he called for workers to cut their hourly pay from $27 an hour to $10, which was later revised to $12.50.
shilling@vindy.com