The plant employs about 1200 people total (union + salaried), they were
going to move 2 sections to 'elsewhere' (rumors upon hearing that was
Mexico, but Corp. HQ denied those allegations, stated that they jobs would
remain on US soil, just going where workers didn't want $20+/- per hour) and
therefore eliminate 600 jobs.  Then union contract expired and they rejected
the company's offer - they didn't want to take that big of a pay cut, wanted
the majority of the jobs to stay where they were, and didn't like the
insurance co-pay increase (who does?  Have you looked at a non-veterinary
medical bill lately??? $HEEE$H!!!!).  That's when the strike started -
Memorial weekend.  Then the union negotiators started rejecting offers from
the company without showing them to the union workforce - or so I am told,
don't know if it's true or not.  But things were at a standstill -
complaints from both sides of the line about how they were being treated by
the other side, yada yada yada.

The production line that corp. was going to move & eliminate 600 jobs WAS
moved, to a location in Ohio, within 12 hours of the strike (this is this
plant's biggest money maker, the fuel sender line - makes the gadgetry that
sends fuel from the gas tank to the fuel pump on the engine), and word was
that if a contract was NOT ratified by July 4, the entire pant would be shut
down.  Period.  No Jobs.  Those salaried workers that did not want to
relocate to other factories, I guess they would have gotten a severance
package.  I might add that July 4 is the beginning of their annual 2-week
shut down, when general maintenance is performed.

A lot of people in the union thought that was a bluff, but the majority did
not.  And Bedford, IN could not support 1200 unemployed.  A lot of people
had the idea that they could get better benefits with a McJob, but got news
for ya people - McD's pays on average $7 - and there's only one McD in
Bedford - no way they could hire 1200 people. One BK, one Hardee's, one LJS,
one KFC, one Kmart, one Wal-Mart, one other factory in town that maybe could
have hired a few of the ex-Visteon people.

Latest proposal (the one thy voted in) still had the 250 (out of the
original 600) people getting a buyout ($25000) for leaving their jobs,
lowered their pay cut and juggled the insurance co-pay around so it didn't
hurt as much.  This contract is for four years, and at least they at least
have that time to get a better education and/or line up another job.

Well, that's all I can think of for now, my mother-in-law just called, and I
have to repeat everything to her twice (just so she can repeat it back to me
a third time) so now I'm kind of addle-brained.