Uaw

Edgy Las Vegas, the paradise for risk takers, might not be the best place right now for a United Auto Workers union convention. Then again, what better city is there for sharing hard-luck stories? And for many of those taking part in the UAW's four-day gathering that begins today in Las Vegas, these have been very tough times with little sign of any let-up. General Motors Corp. and Ford Motor Co. plan to shed at least 60,000 workers in coming years, or more if they can't stop their slide.

DETROIT -- Twenty-one locals of the United Auto Workers union voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike should Delphi Corp. unilaterally impose changes to its labor agreements. More than 95 percent of the votes cast authorized the UAW to call a strike. The union's vote is a response to the auto supplier's request in court last week to nullify labor contracts and eliminate retiree medical and life insurance benefits. The approval was expected, but does not mean a strike is certain. Both sides are awaiting U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain's decision, which is not expected until June, at the earliest.

WASHINGTON -- The fates of thousands of workers, General Motors Corp. and Michigan's economy hang in the balance today as Delphi Corp. presents its case in bankruptcy court for canceling its union contracts. Delphi, the UAW and four other unions will face off in front of U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Robert Drain at hearings scheduled for today and tomorrow. Drain isn't expected to rule on Delphi's request this week, but if he issues a ruling, he can only give a yes-or-no answer. Delphi Chairman Robert S. Miller Jr. contends that the only way for the auto-parts maker to survive is by cutting 23,000 U.S. workers, including 10,000 in Michigan, and slashing wages and benefits for however many of its 33,000 U.S. workers remain.

After months of tough talk, Delphi Corp. stood by its words yesterday, saying it would slash thousand of jobs, close or sell two-thirds of its U.S plants and ask a bankruptcy court judge for permission to throw out its union contracts. The judge has scheduled a hearing on the petition May 9 and no action is expected before then. The move by the nation's largest auto parts supplier raised the stakes in a five-month-old conflict that could have a far reaching impact on the company, its 33,000 workers, its unions and the U.S. auto industry.

The price of labor peace may have gone too high for financially ailing General Motors Corp. Talks continued yesterday among GM, the United Auto Workers union and Delphi Corp., GM's largest supplier. But Delphi says it will file motions in bankruptcy court tomorrow to void its union contracts if it doesn't have a deal by then. The stalemate increases the possibility of strikes at Delphi that could cripple, if not kill, both companies. GM is fighting for its life and, after losing $10.6 billion last year, is racing to cut labor and other costs.

General Motors Corp., facing growing pressure to show positive results, vowed yesterday to stick with lower prices and reduced incentives despite losing market share in the first quarter. GM said it expects its U.S. sales to have declined in March and its market share for the month to fall to about 24 percent, down more than 2 percentage points from a year ago. When GM cut prices on 57 models an average of $1,300 on Jan. 11, it promised to reduce a long-standing reliance on costly incentives that provided sales spikes but contributed to a long-term decline.

DETROIT -- General Motors Corp., Delphi Corp. and the United Auto Workers are close to an agreement on a major job-cutting plan to offer retirement packages to thousands of blue-collar workers, a pact that would help the struggling automaker avert a crippling strike at the auto parts supplier, sources familiar with the talks said yesterday. GM and the UAW are expected to announce details of the package as early as today. It could spur one of the largest exoduses of people from the automaker in its history.

Some General Motors Corp. retirees, angry that they did not get a say, are asking the United Auto Workers union to reconsider its support for a plan that saves the automaker $1 billion a year in part by forcing retirees to pay out-of-pocket health care premiums for the first time. "They can't pull the lever for us," said Lorna Foster, 66, whose 68-year-old husband, Bob, sent a letter Dec. 12 asking the union to let retired workers vote on retiree concessions. "We're working our fool heads off trying to get them to turn this around.

Detroit -- General Motors Corp. will temporarily suspend contributions to its 401(k) savings plan for salaried employees and pare severance benefits as it prepares for more white-collar job cuts in the coming year. The changes in the white-collar compensation plans were spelled out in an information packet distributed Wednesday to GM's 36,000 U.S. salaried employees, a copy of which was obtained by The Detroit News. The cutbacks are the latest efforts by the struggling automaker to rein in costs and another sign that GM can no longer afford the top-flight benefits its employees have enjoyed for decades.

Seeking to avert a potentially crippling strike at its largest supplier, General Motors Corp. gave bankrupt Delphi Corp. a temporary price break yesterday, and Delphi extended its deadline for reaching wage concessions with its unions. Delphi had warned it would ask a bankruptcy judge to void its labor contracts Dec. 16 unless unions agreed to substantial pay and benefits cuts. Yesterday, the Troy, Mich., company said it would delay the filing at least five weeks, to Jan. 20. GM bought $15.4 billion in parts last year from Delphi, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Oct. 8. The two companies had agreed that GM would pay less this year for the same parts as part of its continuing relationship.