WXXI: Schumer Urges GM to Acquire Delphi (2009-05-04)

Jobs, jobs and good paying jobs are on US Senator Charles Schumer's mind.

On Monday the Senator stopped in Rochester to urge auto parts company Delphi to "step up to the plate" and come to some sort of an agreement with General Motors' to acquire part of the company.

The senator says he's "calling on General Motors to take over the Delphi plant behind me and protect the 1,200 vital jobs of the men and women who work here, which are vital to the Rochester economy."

According to the Democrat, GM is in the middle of negotiations about restructuring, and doesn't want Delphi to get lost in the mix. Schumer's decision to speak publicly is based on what he says is a crucial need to keep jobs in Upstate New York.

"Should Delphi shut down because of its financial problems, GM will be crippled because they won't have the parts to make any cars ... and that will send shock waves across the state and the country. And GM recognizes the need for a stable and productive Delphi."

The plan has the support of the president's auto czar in Washington, D.C, and plant workers locally. Schumer says GM has shown interest in purchasing parts of Delphi, but the auto parts company has yet to respond to automaker's interests.

Delphi broke off from GM in 1999. Since October 2005, Delphi's been functioning under bankruptcy protection.

Dan Maloney, president of the local 1097 United Auto Workers, says if GM pulls Delphi back into its fold, the community will see great benefits.

"We'll be hiring off the streets in future years," Maloney says. "Potentially, thousands of new workers, and tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of dollars back into the revenue stream here in Upstate New York."