Delphi retirees aren’t only ones not getting pensions they earned

Opinion: August 17, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

I would like to thank Mary Ann Hudzik of Warren for her testimony at the hearing for Delphi. She is the only person that I’ve heard to ever mention the plight of steelworkers.

I think I can relate somewhat to what Delphi salaried retirees are going through because my pension was totally taken away by PBGC and I lost my health care. I worked for the former Republic Steel, Republic Technologies International. When I lost my job in 2002 due to plant shutdown, I should have had a pension of $800 a month. Judge Economus of Youngstown ruled that we were entitled to our pensions so PBGC had to start paying them. I received a pension of $397 a month for seven years, but at least I was getting something for my 25 years service. But PBGC appealed to a higher court and we were denied our pensions and they want their money back. So when I’m 65 they tell me I’ll get $270 a month minus 10 percent that they’re allowed by law to recoup from me. I thought they were supposed to insure underfunded pensions, not deny them.

As Mrs. Hudzik says, I too feel irrelevant to my company and to my government. And it is inhumane to rip away pensions at this stage of our lives when we are least able to replace them. Fifty-six of us from the Beaver Falls plant that fit that category are still fighting the PBGC. Our 30 plus year retirees are getting their pensions but have seen them cut as many as three times. I wish the people from other plants like Canton and Massillon would have stuck with us in this fight. We have sought help from everyone we could think of including the Justice Department, NLRB, U.S. Reps. Wilson and Ryan, Sen. Sherrod Brown, some politicians in Pennsylvania, and I even sent a letter to Obama but no response. I was extremely disappointed about my treatment from Ryan’s office.

So at least the Delphi people have got people fighting for them. And I hope they get what they deserve, but we should too. Only problem is PBGC has got crafty government lawyers who know the loopholes. At least Mrs. Hudzik gets $1,800 a month, I get nothing.

Jack Thomas, Struthers