different countries. Decisions took forever. The supply chain was broken. It was
no way to run a competitive business. “It meant we were paralyzed,” Miller told
me.
In his book Miller compared himself to a surgeon and described Delphi as a
“desperate patient who waited too long to seek treatment.” He concluded that
major surgery was required. Five months after his arrival, Delphi filed for
bankruptcy and began its painful reorganization. Miller closed twenty-one of
twenty-nine factories, putting four out of ten workers out of their jobs. He forced
major wage concessions on the United Auto Workers (UAW) and unloaded most
of its legacy costs in worker healthcare and pensions. He moved the company
away from manufacturing old-style, low-profit parts—chassis, brakes, hoses—
and into high-tech electronics, navigation, and fuel systems.
Miller fumbled some public statements, making a difficult task even harder.
He complained that Delphi couldn’t afford to pay union workers $65 an hour
and fund healthcare and other expensive benefits even as the company approved
big bonuses for top executives. Hourly workers erupted. Miller faced protests
and court challenges. As penance and a PR move, he cut his salary from $1.5
million to just $1. Still, when he looked out his window one day, he saw union
protesters carrying signs that said, “Miller Isn’t Worth a Buck.”
But as a result of asking his “bad news” questions, Miller knew the situation
was dire. He also knew the crisis extended beyond Delphi. General Motors and
other companies depended on Delphi auto parts. If Delphi went under, it could
take automakers down with it.
“My goal was to do minimal harm to the world’s auto industry,” he said.
“Yes, we had come out of GM, but we sold parts to every automaker on the
planet, without which no automaker could do much.”
At tremendous cost to workers and his own public profile, Miller salvaged
the company. The concessions he forced and the ripple effect it had through the
industry prompted business writer Allan Sloane to give Miller credit for saving
“what’s left of the Detroit Three automakers.”
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