WASHINGTON, D.C. – This weekend, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) convened a meeting with labor leaders from Washington state to discuss the implications of the Air Force’s decision to award the refueling tanker contract to Northrop Grumman/Airbus over Boeing.  Since February’s decision, Cantwell has been working with her colleagues to examine the soundness of the Air Force’s procurement process, including whether the Department of Defense adequately considers critical national security and workforce and industrial base issues when making their contracting decisions.

 

“I am still convinced that the Air Force made the wrong decision in awarding this contract to Northrop Grumman/Airbus,” said Cantwell during the meeting.  “Serious questions exist about what effect this decision will have on our homegrown workforce and our national security. The U.S. government should be working to keep our nation’s workforce and industrial base strong.  The Air Force procurement decision could leave our country more vulnerable in the long run.”

 

“America needs a capable and effective aerospace industry,” said Cynthia Cole, President, Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace. “For decades, our industrial base and our technical workforce has been shrinking through re-engineering, downsizing, offshoring and consolidation in the industry. As it stands, the tanker program will transfer more design and manufacturing capability offshore, which is contrary to our long-term national interests.”

 

"It is time for a hard-edged reality check of these inflated jobs numbers by Northrop Grumman/EADS,” said Tom Wroblewski, President/Directing Business Representative, Aerospace Machinists 751. “It is pure fantasy to project more American jobs resulting from a European built air refueling tanker than from an American made, Machinists Union built tanker. The Air Force concluded the number of American jobs were not important in the selection criteria of where the air refueling tanker was built. It appears NG/EADS thinks it is important enough to keep growing those job projections. We are happy to see Senator Cantwell is getting to the bottom of this." 

 

On Friday, Cantwell sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez and Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao asking them to verify claims made by Northrop Grumman/EADS concerning their job projection figures.  Cantwell expressed concern that Congress may have received inaccurate or incomplete information from the companies about how many U.S. jobs would be created as a result of the tanker contract award.

 

In March, Cantwell and Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) sent a letter to David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO), asking the agency to investigate and report to Congress on whether the Air Force is sufficiently considering lifecycle operating costs, the national security impact of the high cost of fuel, and the need to maintain critical skills vital to national security and a strong industrial base when making its procurement decisions.

 

The following groups signed on to support a “Call to Action” to energize their national leadership: Washington State Labor Council; Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace; International Association of Machinists, Local 751; Teamsters 174; International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 286; Seattle Building Trades; Washington Building and Trades; American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees; Washington State Service Employees International Union; King County Central Labor Council; Snohomish County Central Labor Council; Pierce County Central Labor Council; International Longshore and Warehouse Union 32 and 19 ; International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America, Local 5.

 

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