Local 794 President and Directing Business Representative Ernest “Red” Dow, addresses the Albuquerque City Council in favor of a resolution calling on General Electric to preserve the G.E. Aviation plant in Albuquerque. The resolution passed unanimously.
With less than 72 hours remaining before the conclusion of a 60-day “Decision Bargaining” period, support is pouring in for the 400 members of Local 794 who are fighting to save their jobs at the G.E. Aviation repair facility in Albuquerque, NM.
In a letter to G.E. CEO Jeffrey Immelt from the New Mexico congressional delegation, the lawmakers expressed their disappointment in the decision by G.E. to close the facility and urged the company to consider upgrading the plant. “We believe such an investment deserves serious consideration from all vested stakeholders, including city, county, state and federal entities, as well as G.E., its workers and representatives,” said the letter.
In addition to letters of support from elected local, state and federal leaders, the New Mexico Federation of Labor weighed in with a blunt assessment of the proposed closing, saying it would be “devastating” to the surrounding economy.
Additionally, the Albuquerque City Council approved a resolution calling on General Electric to meet with the New Mexico congressional delegation to explore ways to keep the jet engine facility open and to also consider additional high-skill and green manufacturing opportunities in the state.
Local 794 President Ernest “Red” Dow summed up the feelings of many workers and their supporters in a featured editorial in the states largest newspaper: “These high quality jobs have been in our community for 40 years and played a crucial role in our standard of living,” wrote Dow. “We have an obligation to give our children the same opportunities to enjoy a good level of compensation and benefits.”
