Congressmen Mike Turner and Tim Ryan said Thursday that they have founded the Auto Industry Pension Task Force to delve further into how and why the pensions of Delphi salaried retirees were terminated following the bankruptcies of General Motors Corp. and Delphi, a major GM parts supplier.

Turner, a Republican from Dayton, and Ryan, a Democrat of Niles, will serve as bipartisan co-chairs of the task force. Turner said the task force will serve as “an informal group of Members” dedicated to resolving the issues related to the pensions.

“The Delphi Salaried Retirees for too long have been denied the answers and resolution to the issue of their pensions being unjustly slashed. This task force will help amplify their voice in the halls of Congress,” Turner said in a statement.

“Already several committees are investigating how this could have occurred, and who made the decisions to pick winners and losers amongst hardworking American taxpayers. It is my hope that the task force will be able to build upon the efforts currently underway and provide an avenue for constructive dialogue to remedy this situation,” Turner said.

Thousands of Ohio Delphi salaried retirees had their pensions slashed by up to 70 percent in some cases, including many in the Dayton area.

The pension termination remains a subject of congressional hearings and a pending lawsuit filed by Delphi salaried retirees.

“The work of the task force will be to build a coalition of members that will help us ensure that the Delphi retirees can continue their retirement knowing that they will have the benefits promised to them while they were working,” Ryan said. “I am grateful to Congressman Turner for his commitment and look forward to working with him and my House colleagues in making this situation right.”