From Detroit Free Press
Henry Reichard, conference board chairman of the International Union of Electrical Workers, representing the second-largest group of hourly workers at Delphi Corp., died Monday night in his Dayton, OH, home of what the union said was a heart condition.
He was 55 and had been the chief negotiator responsible for enforcing contracts for 17,000 members at five companies: Delphi, General Motors Corp., DMAX Ltd., Visteon Corp. and Valeo SA.
“We are all greatly saddened at the sudden loss of a great friend and a great union man,” Jim Clark, president of the IUE, said. “Not only was he a skilled and intelligent colleague, but he was a dear friend of mine.”
Reichard has been leading the IUE response to Delphi’s bankruptcy, serving as the lead negotiator and as the union’s representative on the creditors committee, the group responsible for consulting, investigating and negotiating a reorganization plan for Delphi in its bankruptcy.
Scheduled negotiations on a Delphi attrition proposal have been postponed until after his burial.
GM Chief Executive Rick Wagoner began a news conference Tuesday at the automaker’s annual shareholders meeting in Wilmington, DE, by informing the media of Reichard’s death.
“Henry’s a fine man,” Wagoner said. “He’s done a great job on behalf of his constituents. Also, from our perspective, he’s a tough negotiator but a fair negotiator.”
Workers were saddened after learning of the news Tuesday. Scott Rolfe, a production worker for 21 years at Delphi’s Packard plant in Warren, said he respected Reichard for “being honest and up-front.”
Reichard hailed from the IUE’s founding local, Local 755 in Dayton, where he worked for Delphi Energy and Chassis Systems starting in 1969. There, he served as skilled trades district committeeman for nine years and as a negotiator during the 1987, 1990 and 1993 national and local negotiations.
Reichard also served on the local executive board for 17 years as both a member-at-large and vice president. In November 2000, Reichard joined the IUE-Communications Workers of America as an organizer. He was appointed to the IUE-CWA conference board staff as director of safety in March 2001.
Reichard is survived by his wife, Kathy; four children; and five grandchildren. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Copyright 2006 Detroit Free Press. All Rights Reserved.
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