Delphi white-collars shafted; union to help

[EastsideAl]

The GM bankruptcy itself was pretty unique and unprecedented, to be sure. There were a number of things that were not "normal" about it, mostly because it's not every day that a country's largest manufacturing enterprise and one of the largest companies in the world [[or at least a company that was formerly one of the largest) goes into bankruptcy. But the continuation of the Delphi settlement terms wasn't one of them.

GM was, however, as part of the fallout of its own bankruptcy, able to make a better deal for itself on the Delphi bankruptcy and any pay out only a portion of its obligations.

[dharma4313]

Sorry to hear that dharma. Sounds like the UAW is working on getting yours too.

Yup, but they can have it. I wasn't there long enough [[nine years) to keep me in cigarettes.

[turkeycall]

I feel very badly for the Delphi salaried, non-management guys. As a skilled tradesman at the Coopersville facility [AC-Rochester, then Delphi], I had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented engineers I've ever met.

I feel it is a shame that they and all the salaried, non-management people have to bear the burden of the legacy that their forerunners in the 50s, 60s, and all through the 80s left for them.

Wayback Machine Ride:
The salaried, non-management employees of General Motors - engineers, product test technicians, clerks, etc. - had ample opportunity to join the UAW and become represented by the Technical, Office, and Professional [[T.O.P.) Unit of the UAW. They would have had a voice and a vote at contract time.

They decided instead not to join. Here is their rationale: Why join the union and pay union dues? For what? When the Union entered into the bargaining sessions, the salaried people said, "Go for all you can get because whatever you guys get, the Company gives to us, too, and a little bit more. Besides, if the Union strikes, we still show up for work and get paid. We might have to cross a picket line but those are the breaks. Besides, the company can't operate without us."

We called them "gravy train riders." They are now finding out that the company CAN do without them. They've been used up like a Kleenex and thrown into the trash barrel. I say that with no malice toward them. It's just an observation.

[MikeM]

Interesting. So why is the UAW trying to help the non-union members recover their pension? With all the vitriol spewed on the UAW I'm surprised they aren't responding with all the usual admonishments: "You shouldn't have relied on the company, shouldn't have expected to get a pension, should have saved for retirement, should have furthered your education, taken night classes, pursued an advanced degree, improved your skill set, pulled yourself up by the bootstraps", etc? How many have cottages, boats, big screen TVs?

[dharma4313]

Interesting. So why is the UAW trying to help the non-union members recover their pension? With all the vitriol spewed on the UAW I'm surprised they aren't responding with all the usual admonishments: "You shouldn't have relied on the company, shouldn't have expected to get a pension, should have saved for retirement, should have furthered your education, taken night classes, pursued an advanced degree, improved your skill set, pulled yourself up by the bootstraps", etc? How many have cottages, boats, big screen TVs?

But no real engineer thinks in such candy-ass terms. Our independence came from the reality that we could always go elsewhere. After I got my so-called "advanced degree", I took another look at Delphi, and during interview day all my old friends took me aside and said "you don't want to come back here". All the hot-shots had left, and what remained was deadwood and lazy house cats, promoted through default attrition. "Gravy train riders", if you please. I agree with the union guys, they had everything at stake, while we just rode along like those bug-eating birds on the back of a rhino. Now the rhino fights for its life. And the birds flap about, confused and outraged.

[MikeM]

But no real engineer thinks in such candy-ass terms.

Stick around - you'll see plenty of that here.