Chrysler sets April 27 as deadline for buyout, retirement offers
Chrysler’s hourly workers have until April 27 to accept buyout and retirement offers.
The Detroit automaker made its latest offer in February and has twice extended the sign-up deadline, saying it wanted to give workers time to review union concessions before making their choices. At the end of last month, a Chrysler spokesman had said the deadline depended on the UAW contract revision and he could not give a time frame.
Chrysler has until the end of April to meet the federal government’s conditions and receive federal help. Those conditions include reaching a labor agreement with the UAW and finalizing its partnership with Italian automaker Fiat SpA.
Now, although a UAW contract has not been revised yet, Chrysler set a deadline for its buyout and retirement offers.
Workers must decide no later than April 27, UAW Vice President General Holiefield wrote in a letter to local unions. The letter was posted on the website of UAW Local 110, which represents workers at Chrysler’s idled minivan plant in Fenton.
“We want it explicitly understood that neither the International Union nor the Local Union is in any way attempting to influence any member to either take a package or not take a package,” Holiefield’s letter said.
The workers’ final working day will be April 30, Chrysler spokeswoman Dianna Gutierrez wrote in an e-mail today, confirming the deadline date.
More than 1,400 workers at Chrysler’s pickup and minivan plants qualify for at least one of the offers. Nationwide, 26,000 hourly workers are eligible.
Retirement-eligible workers will receive $25,000 new-vehicle voucher and $50,000 cash.
Those who decide to leave the company will get a $25,000 vehicle voucher and $75,000 cash if they have worked between one and 10 years at the automaker. Those with 10 or more years of service will receive a $25,000 voucher and $115,000 in cash.
There is also an early retirement incentive for workers who meet certain age and service criteria.
My job of 22 years is not going away, but if I had this choice, it’s a no-brainer. Hello money, goodbye to Chrysler. Chrysler will not exist for much longer.
The writing was on the wall month’s ago. All salaried employee’s were called to the Blue Room and threatened with take the money or when we close this plant you will NOT be offered any relocation or severance. Matter of fact, information was leaked that tooling was being built in Michigan for installation in Saltillo to enable them to build the Ram Box and Fenton would be idled by June 2009 at the latest.
That forced my hand. All 9 Body Shop maintenance supervisors took the package and 4 of them were retained to keep the plant limping along. Along with 4 area manager level employee’s to assist them.??
My check has cleared, my new car is in my driveway. I can tell you there are NO jobs. I have been interviewed for 4 positions and took test and interviews for 2 others. All to no avail. The good news is apply for unemployment immediately.
Last Summer I worked 68 out of 70 days. This year I doubt if I work a single day. You talk about extremes.
Good luck.
Where do you get the amount of 115,000 in cash? The buyout out is $75,000 and a car voucher for all. The amount does not exceed for those with over 10 or more years.
Teresa,
The Chrysler spokeswoman and spokesman who cover manufacturing issues have been telling me those numbers. I just double-checked my e-mail from them, and the buyout of $115,000 cash/$25,000 voucher is correct for workers with 10 or more years of service.
Angela Tablac, auto industry reporter
The union elmployee’s with 10 plus years got the big bucks 115000, can you believe some of them have not took it yet. Do they know how to read and write. Being a salary employee with 10 plus I only got 75K plus a new car all of which was taxed on 2008 revenue.
You have to be nearly brain dead not to take this deal. Unless of course you are a hillbilly that cannot read or write.? TAKE THE MONEY, CASH THE CHECK NOW. WAIT FOR IT TO CLEAR. RUN TO THE BANK, DO NOT WALK.
Why is there NO report in the Post Dispatch that the Fenton North Truck plant has been idled this week and possibly next week for inventory related issues and it is cheaper to idle the plant than to increase inventory of trucks that NO one is buying?
Come on Angela call CTC or your contacts and lets find out when they are going to build trucks at Fenton again?
Thanks
Thanks for the heads up on St. Louis North. I’ll look into it.
–Angela Tablac, Post-Dispatch auto reporter
I just spoke with Don Ackermann, vice president of United Auto Workers Local 136, which represents workers in the pickup plant. The plant is down this week, Ackermann said, but as far as he knows, production will restart next week.
I hope this answers your question. Thanks again for the notification.
–Angela Tablac, Post-Dispatch auto reporter
My friend that works at CTC says next week’s production for Fenton will be determined either Thursday night or Friday morning.
That is when they will tell the union. Last minute management. I enjoyed it for nearly 12 years.
This is a way of Chrysler corporate giving the fence dwellors a week of quite to consider taking the buyouts and what it is like to hang around the house for a week, month, year. I took the buyout in December and can tell you there are NO jobs. Education, military, and experience is not enough to get a job at 1/2 of what I made. So, maybe I made the wrong decision. Should have went down with the Titantic. Or? Maybe not?
I made the decision in November and still do not know if I made the correct one?
Good Luck to all of you on the fence.