Write and Express Your Concerns to Judge Lifland

[sjdana]

HERE'S A SAMPLE LETTER....


March 27, 2006

The Honorable Burton R Lifland
United States Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of NY
One Bowling Green
New York, NY 10004-1408

Dana Corporation, Toledo, OH Bankruptcy Petition, 3/3/2006


Judge Lifland:

I am a Dana Corporation shareholder, and have been so since I joined Dana Corporation in ____.  Recent events have caused me to reduce my holdings, at a severe loss, but I still retain ______ shares.

I would like to request that the court establish a representative committee, which would represent the rights of the shareholders of Dana Corporation; in much the same manner as has been granted to shareholders of Delphi Corporation.

The current managers of Dana have acted irresponsibly in the manner in which they have conducted business since March 15, 2004.  Through their individual incompetence, and lack of professional experience in Dana’s core businesses, they have needlessly brought the company to the Chapter 11 Petition process, and have shown particular disregard for the owners of Dana, the shareholder.  This is in the view of the shareholders, suppliers, and employees with whom I have personally spoken.  Mr. Burns in particular should not be entrusted to manage the company any longer, and I would respectfully request that you severely question his motives and actions and those of Alix Partners, leading up to the Petition filing, and since.  A few are enriching themselves at the expense of the owners of the Company.  I remain available to assist the Court in any way.

Respectfully,

[JudyF]

I have mostly been lurking on this site.  I did write and send to Judge Lifland a letter.  I am so thankful this site exists and for the informative posts I've read.  I feel a bit more hopeful because of the information I received here since Chapter 11.  I am just appalled at how the company deteriorated over the past years.  I am a small shareholder, invested a bit at a time in DRIP plan.

[TomWayne]

This is an excellent letter for ALL of us to copry and fill out. I will be running 600 copies to distribute at my facility tommorrow. Unless we speak out, we won't be heard. Thank You for posting this form letter.

[TomWayne]

Sorry about the double posting, still learning how to run this.
I don't know how many facilities are represented on this board but I would suspect there are many. In those facilities are many life long contributors to the Dana stock program, therefore alot of shares represented. I would like to challenge everyone on the board to do the same thing that I am planning on doing, get these letters in the hands of as many people as possible at your facility. In addition to this lets all step up to the plate and do just a little extra on our jobs. We can control our own destiny. Lets make Dana # 1 in this business again! We have the knowledge, the experience and expertise. Lets take control of OUR Company.

[Sal]

Hi folks,

The sample letter is good but I think that form letters, while they are better than no letters is not the best way to go.

I think that the Judge will consider personal letters over a form letter.  A thousand identical letters that say the same think is nothing more than someone making the copies and getting signatures.

Keep in mind that the letters are not binding on the court and form letters will most likely be ignored.  The personal letters will gain respect.  

This is just my opinion you are all free to do as you wish.


Please try to keep related discussions together otherwise it will be difficult to find anything.

At the top of every page is a link in bright red letters that says, “Read this before you post on this board.”  Please do that.

We all need to work together to keep this website organized.  

[grenoire]

I agree that these letters should be written individually, and to not send a bunch of form letters (they carry no credibility). I posted all the info regarding the letter at our facility and a few guys mentioned they will write judge Lifland a letter. One guy mentioned he doesn't have a computer and will write it in pen, to me that is even more credible and sincere. What quite a few guys were asking is for a few example letters so they have a better idea. I figure I post mine that I am sending this week. I think if we have a bunch of examples posted it would give people a better idea what to write. I suggest to use your own words, just use these examples as a guide.

Dear Judge Lifland,

I am an employee and a current stockholder of Dana Corporation, and have participated in their stock purchase plan (until its recent cancellation) for the last 4 years. Being an employee of Dana the last 11 years and a stockholder, I have shown faith in the company by becoming an owner, and generally owners don’t have representation during bankruptcy proceedings.

I believe that appointing a shareholder committee would be fair and just, so that shareholder’s interests be represented during these proceedings. I respectfully ask that you consider appointing such a committee so that all interests are fairly addressed. Thank you in advance, for your consideration.


Best regards,

[Richard G. Harris]

Hi everyone,
   I agree with the person who said that all of us stock holders should mail personal letters to Judge Lifland. I have mailed mine testerday & also have told all my friends from the Raeding Plant to do the same.Having said that I want to say that Dana was not honest with us stock holders.I've worked for Dana Corp for 38yrs & 4 months, during that time I only missed one day of work due to illiness.I seen first hand the poor managment that Dana had for the last 15 yrs. also the stealing that was going on for at least 10 yrs. by Reading Industrial Scrap Co.    
                 The sadist thing of all was that Dana's own managment were in on the theft which in my opion caused Dana to close the Reading Plant which was there for almost 100 yrs & at one time employed 3,500 people. Dana knew that either they had to close the Reading Plant or all of their Stock holders could have filed a class action law against them for allowing the theft to go on when they were told sevrral times by the workers, believe me $$$ millions of dollars was stolen. Now you know where your $$$$Money went ,I sure hope this Judge will take into condersation these facts when he makes his ruling,it is very wrong what Dana did to all of us Stock Holders , I hope they don't get away with it signed Chub!!

[wcra]

Do we have any information on how many letters went to the Judge?

[grenoire]

I'm pretty sure the amount of letters written to the judge isn't public information, or in any way he has to disclose how many letters he recieved.  
In writing my letter I felt that I was doing my part in trying to recover my capital invested in this company, in proceedings that would otherwise would be out of my control.

[bobo]

I sent judge Liflalnd a letter, asking him to consider any compensation
paid to the executives for bringing Dana out of BK, be tied to the performance of the present Dana stock.

I hope that all stockholders will write the judge expressing their
concerns, before the hearing.

I understand the hearing is scheduled for Aug. 8

Is this website available to those outside theUS?

[DanaEmployee#45]

Here is the letter I wrote to the judge. Then with a majority of the workers in the shop signing it. It was then sent it off with the hopes of being taken  serious.

Honorable Judge Burton R. Lifland,                                        


I hope that this letter reaches you in good health. I would like to start off saying that we the people of Dana, have a major obstacle in front of us. Dana’s High ranking management and the cuts it hopes to inflict upon it workers across the US. Morale is very low on every shift in the Auburn Hills facility. With all the talk of losing benefits, wage concessions, along with a slue of other cuts that could take place within the next few months, I find it hard to swallow the painful pill that will be forced down each and every one of Dana’s current and retired workers throats if the cuts are in fact allowed to be passed onto its workforce.

We all have our struggles and make our gains day to day rolling with the punches, all with the belief that one day we all will retire with everything we have been promised upon agreeing to the terms of employment on his or her date of hire. It is beginning to become a common household topic in America that many major corporations are recklessly abandoning its hard working people using bankruptcy as the vehicle to make their get away from its promises to their employees.

Many people have given their entire life to Dana, day in and day out, working hard to provide the best possible life for their families. With hopes of retirement and the ability to pay for prescriptions, receive medical treatment and make ends meet. This can not be done with the cuts that have been proposed to its workers.

Dana should be forced to honor their promise to the hard working people they agreed to support current and retired today and tomorrow. This corporate greed cannot be allowed to happen and needs to be stopped because our jobs are what make America. If we are all forced to work for less and pay more for insurance each year, who benefits from this? “Corporate America”

But nothing is more important than the benefits and agreements that Dana made to its workers, Union and non-union alike.

We hope that you will stand behind the hard working people of America and Dana’s workers and retirees and give them what they have earned.  



We the People of Dana would like to be heard and recognized.


After adding up all the years of service it's surprising, that Dana may be given the  ability to drive off into the sunset with over 1096 years of promises it made to it's workers in just my facility alone.
_________________
I would like to talk to other Dana employees from any facility within the U.S. and Canada. You may contact me via my e-mail or PM.

[Pyro]

One of our union committeemen said he had the wife of a retiree call in last week for the judge's address, she wanted to write him a letter.

I typed up a letter with the address of the judge and copies of the sample letters to post around at work. Some people do not use the net and don't have access to the info and may want to send a letter.

I sent a letter a couple weeks ago. It may not do any good but at least I got my feelings to him. Also started updating me resume just in case.

[DanaEmployee#45]

After looking at the docket I see that there are letters on the net they are referred to as objections to the compensation to burns and crew. The only ones I have seen though are from retirees. I haven't seen any on the docket from current workers. That is a good idea about printing some sample letters out and getting people involved that may not have the net.
_________________
I would like to talk to other Dana employees from any facility within the U.S. and Canada. You may contact me via my e-mail or PM.