We were misled on buyouts, group says

The company and union conducted meetings and communicated what was known at the time, a Delphi spokesman said.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

WARREN — “Our attorneys say we have a good case,” says Rick Percich, spokesman for former Delphi Packard Electric employees who say they took buyouts and early retirements because they were misled by the company and the International Union of Electrical Workers officials.

Percich, of Lordstown, said he and others met this week with legal advisers here and in Cleveland and are gathering documents to back up their contention that they were not given all the information they needed to make good decisions last year.

Lindsey Williams, a Delphi spokesman, said the company and union conducted informational meetings at the time the decisions were to be made.

“All the parties worked diligently to develop an attrition plan that gave employees the options of taking a buyout, early retirement or continuing to work. We communicated what was known at the time,” Williams said.

However, Percich thinks more was known than was told employees.

“They told us they were freezing pensions and that wages would be dropped to $12 an hour in January — neither of which occurred,” Percich said.

Made buyout decision

He said the company and the union said hourly workers at Delphi Packard would make $12 an hour under the new agreement, and $4 more an hour if GM kicked in some money. However, at the time GM was saying it would not kick in the $4 per hour.

With that in mind, people took the buyout because they would not have been able to pay their bills earning only $12 per hour.

If people had known that they would get a $105,000 buydown, and then within two months they would be making $18 an hour, they would not have left, Percich said.

Michael Nigrin of Bazetta, a 13-year Delphi-Packard employee, based his decision to take the $140,000 buyout on the $12-an-hour wage.

“I couldn’t support my family on $12 an hour, so I took the $90,000 that was left after taxes of the buyout and paid off my house and some other bills,” he said.

But he cannot find other work.

“If I had known what was going to happen, I would have never left,” said Nigrin, who said he believes the union and the company knew what was coming but did not communicate it.

Percich denies that his group tried to influence Delphi-Packard employees who voted Friday and today on a new contract.

Though he personally thinks the package is “terrible,” because he says it would protect the benefits of current retirees but leave little protection of the retirement benefits of people still working, he said its approval would in fact help make his case.

Couldn’t take retirement

“We’re not gold diggers just trying to get a buck. With me, I had 26 1/2 years at Packard. I missed full retirement because I was 52 days shy of my 50th birthday and was not eligible for retirement. Yet, people with 10 years or more of seniority, if they were 50, received a retirement,” he said.

“I got $140,000 buyout, which is a pittance when compared to working a few more months and getting full retirement,” Percich said.

“Do you think somebody in my position would have taken $140,000 and run if I wasn’t scared out of my wits?” Percich asked.

alcorn@vindy.com