The hum of machinery will be silent at Delphi Packard ElectricSystems while employees enjoy a planned two-week shutdown, anofficial said.

Henry Newman, a representative of the International Union ofElectronic, Electrical, Salaried, Machine and Furniture Workers -Communications Workers of American (IUE-CWA), said the plant’sshutdown was not related to ongoing negotiations between the unionand the corporation as Delphi struggles to avoid filing forbankruptcy.

“We do this every year,” he said. “We have additional vacationswe can take during the year, but this is the week everyone plansfor.”

The plant, which employs more than 500 workers, shuts downannually the week of July 4 to celebrate Independence Day, hesaid.

Employees typically take a week of vacation the second week ofJuly to allow some workers to perform equipment maintenance. Themaintenance typically requires power and other utilities to beturned off.

“There are no upgrades this year that I know of,” Newman said.”But there’s always a skeleton crew the second week, so there willbe a few working.”

The plant is scheduled to reopen July 17.

Delphi is in the midst of reorganization and restructuring inits bid to avoid a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The corporation has saidit will sell or close 21 of its 29 U.S. plants in thereorganization.

Plants in Brookhaven and Clinton have been listed as two of theeight “core automotive facilities” that will remain open. A thirdMississippi plant, in Laurel, did not make the list.

Newman said he will return to Detroit later this month tocontinue addressing pay packages for workers who chose to pass onan employee buyout program or who did not meet itsrequirements.

IUE-CWA is the second largest union at Delphi, representing8,500 workers and 3,000 retirees.