Negotiators take break from talks

The two sides started the meeting Wednesday.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
Labor negotiations between Delphi Corp. and the union that represents its Mahoning Valley workers recessed Friday with the possibility that more discussions will be held soon.
Company and union negotiators are on alert should either side want to talk, said Lauren Asplen, a spokeswoman for the International Union of Electrical Workers.
"The talks have not broken off or anything like that," she said.
The two sides started meeting Wednesday in Troy, Mich., where the auto parts supplier is based.
Asplen declined to describe the specifics of the talks, which are the first time the parties have met over the proposed concessions being demanded by Delphi.
"The mere fact that we're having these types of negotiations is progress in and of itself," she said.
This is the first time that the IUE's national bargaining committee has convened since last fall when it met to review Delphi's original proposal, which called for cutting hourly pay for hourly production workers from $27 to $9.50. Delphi later increased the wage proposal to $12.
Here's the situation
Don Arbogast and Gary Reiser, officials with IUE Local 717 in Warren, are on the union's 20-member national committee and have been involved in the talks. Asplen said committee members were headed home Friday.
Lindsay Williams, a Delphi spokes-man, wouldn't provide any specifics, other than saying the talks will continue.
Delphi has said it will ask a bankruptcy court judge to void its union contracts if a new labor deal isn't reached by March 30. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in October.
Asplen said that union officials think negotiations will continue if Delphi does file such a motion because the judge will need time to review it.
Everything could change, however, if a deal still isn't reached and the judge voids the contracts. IUE locals have passed strike authorization resolutions.
Local 717 represents about 3,800 hourly workers at Delphi Packard Electric Systems, which makes components for wiring systems at Mahoning Valley plants.
Separate talks
The United Auto Workers, which represents most of Delphi's 34,000 hourly workers, is involved in separate talks with the company. Its leaders have said there would be a strike if its contract is voided.
General Motors Corp. also has been involved in the talks because it has financial obligations to Delphi because it used to be the supplier's parent company.
Newspaper reports have indicated the companies are considering buyouts to encourage older Delphi and GM workers to retire, with some remaining Delphi workers flowing back to GM. Talks also have involved giving Delphi workers a lump-sum payment in exchange for a pay cut, newspapers said.
shilling@vindy.com