Posted on 10/31/2009 12:40:27 PM PDT by My Favorite Headache
The Boeing Co. announced Friday it will lay off a third of its 1,000-member workforce at Kennedy Space Center next year.
The layoffs will come in January, May and August as the shuttle program heads toward retirement.
Some 330 workers will be laid off from Boeing's Checkout, Assembly and Payload Processing Services program, which has about 500 workers, spokeswoman Susan Wells said Friday.
"Boeing is committed to preserving as many jobs as possible for our valued, highly skilled employees, and the company has taken aggressive steps to lessen the impact of these potential reductions," a company statement said.
"These steps include redeploying CAPPS personnel to other programs, evaluating contract labor requirements, and offering career services and related assistance."
Wells said the layoff numbers could change, up or down, if NASA changes its plans to end the shuttle program by 2011.
"Based on what we know today, Boeing is planning to issue layoff notices to approximately 330 workers next year," said the Boeing statement.
Nearly 1,000 space industry workers have lost their jobs this year because of cutbacks in the shuttle program in Brevard County.
A total of 7,500 space industry workers are expected to face post-shuttle unemployment, and nearly three times as many related jobs could be lost. Recently, prime contractor United Space Alliance announced nearly 300 layoffs.
On Wednesday, NASA carried out a successful test firing of a possible shuttle replacement rocket, the Ares, but the project remains behind schedule.
So, even with massive increases to the NASA budget, the unemployment level in Brevard, now at 11.1 percent, could come close to the post-Apollo era level of 14.7 percent, the highest it's ever been.
What a bunch of kool-aid these people were fed and voted for.
LOL! Suckers! I hope they were union people. Hope & Change.
Its sad to see the US hitchhing rides on Russian and maybe soon Chinese space capsules.
I’m sure obama will count these as jobs gained or saved.
Agenda by design. “the beatings will continue until morale improves”
500-330=170. Obama can claim that he has saved 170 jobs at Boeing.
People voted for it.
People were too busy watching the NFL, NASCAR and other midless BS as their country, elections and honor was stolen from them.
Just be patient all, it's growing pains with our venture of "change".
When we reach our destination, it won't matter any more.
We will be able to rest in peace.
America will be no more.
LOL ; Drive by media says “layoffs less than expected; 2000 jobs saved by simulus”
For breaking every single promise he’s made so far, it sure is a good thing for the jOker that he can get away with it with a smile because he’s a liberal black. I’m sure those 330 families will shrug their shoulders and say, “Well, he IS black so we gotta go easy on the criticism.”
The layoffs that are starting to occur are going to have a major impact on the area. This was anticipated, but as usual, no plan is in place to minimize the damage.
Funny thing, I was living here when Apollo shut down, moved to S. CA just after the Shuttle program got up and running, and now I am back for the shut down of the Shuttle program. Things are going to get ugly here on the Space Coast.
Since Obama came into office the MSM has increasingly reported actual numbers against the so-called and self-defined "expected" outcome, which always seems to be a benchmark that makes the numbers look better -- whether they go up or down.
We have barely been able to sustain the Shuttle, another antiquated piece of technology. Soon we will no longer be able to even do that.
The "next generation" of space flight, if the anti-American Obama junta continue to have their way, will never happen. The maiden flight of Aries may have been the last candle.
Hope and Change his mind.
End the entire black hole otherwise known as NASA. Am I the only one that knows they're behind/complicit with the whole global warming scam and that they do environmental spy missions on US...Using OUR money to do it?.
don’t make me cry pal!
the private sector is going to have to take it from here.
Just remember that democrats fail in governing in direct proportion to their promotion of socialist programs. Those programs are bound to fail. The American people will respond as they witness once again that these so-called solutions are worse than any problem which they are designed to combat. The surest way to bring back conservative values is to occasionally elect an enemy appeasing communist-socialist under the democrat banner. I have faith in the American people to recognize the failure of socialism when it becomes readily apparent to even the most dense. We must continue to give them that opportunity whenever the Rinos take over the GOP.
"Change please. Got some spare change?"
If we are going to live within our means we can stop bailing out failed corporations and trying to get a government healthcare system. Plus we could trim a few percent off the federal budget for entitlement programs easily.
NASA was good when Von Braun and the Germans ran it.
Looks like slack jawed hill billy yokel and NASA poverty pimp Bill Nelson did not bring home the bacon to NASA. I guess Obama’s reparations are a higher priority. NASA needs even more ACORN types to really make it like the post office.
People voted for this. They were too busy watching the NFL, college football, NASCAR and other crap to notice their country was being stolen.
Former Marine judge David O. Carter sold out his honor, manhood and country to the Saudis and the usurper. Another Jack Murtha.
If we get the country back - maybe we can hire again Germans to rebuild the space program. They still have some discipline and intelligence. I have seen Mercedes engineers, young Germans testing cars at a hotel out west. They were pouring over data until 10 pm in the hotel meeting room every night.
The list, ping
Agreed. I live here too and as a native Floridian I can say this is easily the worst I have seen things. People I am close with now drive to Orange County to work on a daily basis or Osceola. There are no jobs in Brevard. If you want a house that was $389,000.00 about 20 months ago and now $205,000 then this is your place.
If morale is based on people applying for jobs then it is high. If morale is based on people actually getting or having jobs...then morale is in the toilet covered with toilet paper and other things I won’t get into with the finger on the flusher.
The local Chik-Fil-A had over 2,700 applications to fill 45 positions when it opened 2 months ago. That is for an $8.50 an hour job.
Believe me I know about the job situation and it is very ugly. No hope or change in sight either.
Thanks for the graph..it is going up on my Facebook for all to see.
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