May/June 2006

Photo: BRYAN BOURFF / UAW LOCAL 292

UAW Local 292 members and supporters at a Kokomo (Ind.) rally last year.

Key points of the plan

Eligible employees may take only one of the following options (in all cases, the language of the actual agreement will apply):

• The Special Attrition Program at GM and Delphi offers $35,000 for normal or early voluntary retirements retroactive to Oct. 1, 2005.

• Mutually Satisfactory Retirement for GM and Delphi employees who are at least 50 years of age with 10 years or more of credited service.

• A new special voluntary pre-retirement option for GM and Delphi employees with at least 27 years but less than 30 years of credited service, provides $2,800 to $2,900 gross monthly wages, until 30 years of credited service is attained.

Upon attaining 30 years of credited service the employee must retire.

To be eligible, employees must have at least 27 years of credited service no later than July 1, 2006.

What’s in the SAP?

Court OKs attrition plan for UAW GM Delphi workers

By the time this Solidarity hits homes, workers on virtually every shift at a UAW-represented General Motors or Delphi facility will know details of an attrition plan offering early retirement to Delphi’s 24,000 UAW workers.

The Special Attrition Plan (SAP) would give qualifying workers a $35,000 early retirement package.

“I was planning on retiring next year, but this (program) gave me a reason to go now,” said Doretha Phillips, a UAW Local 659 member at GM’s Flint (Mich.) Service and Parts Operation who recently reached her 30-year seniority mark.

At an April 7 hearing in New York’s Southern District bankruptcy court, Judge Robert Drain approved Delphi's participation in the SAP. He also overruled objections of the seven-member committee of Delphi’s largest creditors.

Because of Delphi’s bankruptcy filing last October, the agreement was subject to court approval. Delphi is now authorized to carry out its commitments in the agreement.

“The motion filed with the court was Delphi’s motion – not the UAW’s – and like many of the motions that Delphi has filed with the court, it contains a number of contentions, conclusions and representations with which we strongly disagree,” said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger and UAW Vice President Richard Shoemaker in a joint statement. “We will file a statement with the court making clear our position on these important matters, while at the same time emphasizing our support for court approval of this Special Attrition Program.”

UAW leaders reached the attrition agreement with GM and Delphi on March 22.

Meanwhile, on March 31 Delphi filed Section 1113-1114 motions seeking court approval to reject collective bargaining agreements and modify retiree benefits.

Section 1113-1114 hearings are scheduled to begin May 9.

The UAW is Delphi’s largest union, representing 24,000 hourly workers.

Led by the UAW, Delphi’s six unions last November formed a coalition — Mobilizing@Delphi — representing more than 33,000 active Delphi workers.

Jennifer John