House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio-8) and Congressman Michael R.Turner (Ohio-3) today commended the House Committee on Education andLabor for scheduling a congressional hearing to investigate themanagement of former Delphi Corporation employees’ pension obligations.
The House Committee on Education and Labor hearing “Examining theDelphi Bankruptcy’s Impact on Workers and Retirees” will take place onWednesday, December 2, 2009. Former Delphi employees are among thoseexpected to testify at the Capitol Hill hearing.
In July, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) announced theywould assume responsibility for the pension plans of thousands of localDelphi Corporation retirees. As a result, many employees whose planswere not entirely eliminated faced as much as a 70 percent reduction inpension benefits. Reps. Turner and Boehner joined several Members ofCongress calling for a congressional investigation.
“It is important Congress exercise its oversight authority andinvestigate this matter impacting thousands of former workers, many ofwhom have spent their entire career committed to Delphi,” Rep. Turnersaid. “Delphi’s retired workforce deserve answers about the benefitspromised to them and their families. I am hopeful this hearing willexamine Delphi’s treatment of their former employees.”
“For years, Delphi’s dedicated hourly and salaried retirees worked asGeneral Motors employees, yet now they are being treated sodifferently,” Congressman Boehner said. “I’m pleased that the HouseCommittee on Education and Labor has decided to examine this disparatetreatment, and I will continue to advocate for the thousands ofretirees and their families who are depending on these promised pensionbenefits for their financial security.”
“As a result of the expedited General Motors bankruptcy, Delphisalaried retirees were singled out for unique sacrifices. We asked fora congressional hearing seeking fair and equitable treatment of ourpension benefits. We are deeply appreciative of Congressmen Boehner andTurner for their efforts to obtain Congressional hearings,” said TomRose, a Dayton leader for the Delphi Salaried Retirees Association(DSRA) and a former GM/Delphi salaried employee with 39 years ofservice.