Banding together and with the help of supporters, Delphi salaried retirees are making progress in gaining recognition of their pension termination and new support from Congress.

Legislation was recently introduced that will require an independent investigation of the Delphi pension situation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Among the issues that will be investigated is propriety of federal financial assistance that was provided to General Motors Corporation and if the circumstances and decisions that were made relative to the termination and handling of the Delphi salaried pension fund were appropriate.

Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) is championing the Delphi salaried retiree cause. Click here to read the full press release issued by Sen. Wicker: http://www.delphisalariedretirees.org/delphi/jsmallfib_top/GovLetters/Sen_Wicker_legislation_re_Delphi_pensions.pdf

GM salaried retirees should consider this -- at the time the decision was made to terminate the Delphi salaried pension fund and hand it over to the PBGC, the plan was funded at 86% -- that is just 3 percentage points lower than current funding for the GM salaried plan!

In their battle for justice and equitable treatment, Delphi salaried retirees continue to face mounting legal and political challenges. The trend for courts to uphold decisions that allow companies to shed their promises and moral obligations to employees is alarming. And the potential for a precedent to be set in this court case should concern all retirees. Pensions should not be considered debt that companies can shed at will by filing for bankruptcy or engaging in back-door political deals. (FYI: NRLN 2010 legislative initiatives include these concerns.)

We encourage you to support our Delphi colleagues with your contributions and letters of support. To contribute to the Delphi Salaried Retiree legal fund, visit the Delphi Salaried Retiree Association website at: http://www.delphisalariedretirees.org/delphi/.

To write to your elected officials expressing your concern over the unfair and disparate treatment of Delphi salaried retirees, identify your elected representatives and the link to their website, at the following site: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml. Click on the name of the elected official to whom you wish to send your letter. You will need to enter your State or Zip Code to prompt the names of elected officials for your specific area. Click on the website of each official for instructions on contacting them. Most members of Congress have a "Contact Us" tab on their web page where you can type in or paste in your message.

We have included sample letter text below, that should be personalized in your own words, and can be copied/pasted into the email message box on the website of your U.S. Representative and Senators.

Our Delphi colleagues need our support and action!

All the best,

John Christie

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Sample Letter to Members of Congress

As your constituent, I strongly urge you to act immediately to restore justice and equity concerning decisions involving termination of the Delphi salaried retiree pension plan. The unconscionable decisions in this case reflect a blatant disregard for fairness and a serious degradation of the U.S. judicial system.

I encourage you to fully support a thorough investigation and transparency of government involvement in GM pension decisions, such as those affecting Delphi salaried retirees. We deserve to know if the government was involved in pressuring GM concerning this unusual and improper decision resulting in preferential treatment for a select group.

The growing trend of courts to uphold decisions that allow companies to shed their moral obligations to employees in the interest of improving their "bottom line" is a cause for serious alarm. Retirees are creditors, who worked for many years to earn their pensions, and must be included on the list of debts that companies cannot shed at will through bankruptcy reorganizations.

The unfair decisions and questionable judgments such as those demonstrated in this case violate the fundamental values of this country. As your constituent, I strong urge you to support the restoration of the Delphi salaried retiree pensions and benefits to the same level as that of their fellow UAW-represented retirees.

Respectfully,

[Your name]