Wichita Machinists got some long-needed good news with the announcement
that the Defense Department has awarded Boeing with a contract to build
a new fleet of air-to-air refueling tankers for the U.S. Air Force.
Much of the work will be done at Boeing in Wichita, and at Boeing
sub-contractor Spirit Aerosystems, and this will mean many new jobs for
beleaguered Wichita Aerospace workers, who have been hit harder with
layoffs than any time since the Great Depression. It will mean many new Wichita jobs at Boeing and Spirit Aerosystems, a Boeing subcontractor.
"It was great news," said District Lodge 70 Directing Business Representative Steve Rooney. "Maybe this is a sign that we've hit bottom here, and we're headed back up, putting our folks back to work."
"It was fantastic news," said Southern Territory GVP Bob Martinez. "The IAM has worked hard for a long time with Boeing and Kansas lawmakers to bring this work home. Our tanker should be built in America, with the greatest aircraft workers in the world. It's time to put Kansas aircraft workers back on the job."
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