Decision Leaves Boeing Out Of Multi-Billion Dollar Program
Disappointment and
shock echoed through the Society of Professional Engineering
Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001, after the
announcement that EADS/Northrop received the Air Force contract to
build the next generation of aerial refueling tankers.
“I am very disappointed for our members and all employees
at The Boeing Company,” said SPEEA President Cynthia Cole.
“I’m surprised the Air Force chose an unproven
technology and an inferior product for this important program that
supports the men and women in our armed forces.”
The announcement drew protests from members and officials who
took part in an afternoon rally at the Everett Hall of the
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers
(IAM), District 751.
SPEEA members were instrumental in the design and engineering of
Boeing’s KC-767AT (advanced tanker) that was in competition
for the contract. Union leaders and members from SPEEA and the IAM,
met with congressional leaders to emphasize the need to choose the
Boeing 767 and keep taxpayers’ money and production of key
military programs in the United States.
While firm numbers of SPEEA-represented employees working on the
tanker program are not available, the program was expected to
create 9,000 jobs in Washington state and about 600 jobs in Kansas.
Union officials are already talking to Boeing about the impact of
the contract loss.
IFPTE Weighs In On Tanker Decision
IFPTE President Gregory J. Junemann issued the following
response to the announcement from the Air Force to award the
European based Airbus/EADS the 767 Refueling Tanker contract:
“This is a stunning announcement, particularly when you
consider that Airbus doesn’t currently build Tanker aircraft.
Even more alarming is that the United States Department of Defense
has decided to invest billions of dollars in taxpayer resources in
a foreign company, when we have the world’s premier aerospace
manufacturer right here at home. Boeing, and its workforce, is
second to none. Sadly, that makes no difference as the Air
Force’s decision seems to have been fueled by a Wal-Mart like
mentality of seeking out the ‘cheapest’ deal at the
expense of quality.
“As we slip into a recession and working people continue to
struggle, there has been plenty of discussion here in Washington
about what steps the government needs to take in order to bring our
economy back to life. By turning our backs on American workers, we
have certainly missed a prime opportunity to reinvest American
taxpayer dollars in our own workforce. Our tax dollars are still at
work, but in this circumstance, they are working to the benefit of
foreign workers, not US workers.”
The Air Force contract is worth $40 billion, and could climb as
high $100 billion.
In October, SPEEA begins main table negotiations with Boeing for
21,000 employees in Washington, Kansas, Oregon, Utah and
California. Negotiations begin in May for 3,000 represented
employees at Spirit AeroSystems, Inc. in Wichita, Kan. A local of
the International Federation of Professional and Technical
Engineers (IFPTE), SPEEA also represents aerospace professionals at
Triumph Composite Systems, Inc., in Spokane, Wash., and at BAE
Systems, Inc. in Irving, Texas.
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