Riding into the Sunset 

without health insurance

The Buffalo Business First reported today that attorneys for a group of salaried Delphi Corp. retirees are preparing to argue an appeal from a bankruptcy court ruling of last week. On March 11 Judge Robert Drain in New York City rejected a plea from the white-collar workers that they be allowed to keep their health care and insurance benefits. Drain previously had ruled in February that the company could discontinue those benefits. The retirees, who have until April 15 to sign up for self-paid insurance, will ask for a stay to keep Judge Drain’s ruling from going into effect. Representatives of the employees’ group say they hope to take the case to the appellate court if Drain rules against them again.

according to the plan

Troy, MI-based Delphi has said that eliminating the insurance is part of its plan to restructure and emerge from the Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection it entered three-and-one-half years ago. About 15,000 salaried retirees, including several hundred who were employed at Delphi Thermal Systems in Lockport and General Motors Corp — Delphi’s former parent — are involved in the case.