Business Digest

REGION

Delphi pension benefits

WARREN — Local 717 of the International Union of Electrical Workers is reminding hourly employees of Delphi Corp. that General Motors will be providing them with additional pension benefits.

Karen Krolopp, union president, said she doesn’t want retirees to be alarmed when they receive notices from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. that their pensions are being reduced as of March 1. GM has agreed to “top-up” the benefits so nothing is lost. The PBGC, which has taken over Delphi’s pension plans, is notifying hourly retirees in predetermined groups, and the first pension reductions are effective March 1.

Federal officials won’t be at settlement conference

DETROIT — Senior federal officials do not intend to be at a settlement conference that is scheduled for Feb. 18 to try to resolve a federal lawsuit filed by the Delphi Salaried Retirees Association.

Timothy Geithner, U.S. treasury secretary, Ron Bloom, the head of the president’s auto task force, and Steven Rattner, the former task force leader, are proposing to be represented by lawyers from the federal government, according to a motion filed Thursday in U.S. district court in Detroit. The retirees association has not approached the federal officials about a settlement, and the federal lawyers will relay information from the hearing to the senior officials, the motion said.

From Vindicator staff reports