Posted on 08/14/2011 10:30:11 AM PDT by pabianice
Chico employees of Aero Union who were commuting to Sacramento were told Friday their jobs are gone and the air tanker business is being closed.
They were told they could pick up their final checks on Monday, according to an employee's wife, who contacted the Enterprise-Record.
Employees were told that the entire company was closing, according to the e-mail.
Aero Union, which relocated from Chico to McClellan Field in Sacramento, converted military aircraft to aerial firefighters and operated some of the planes under contract with the federal government.
The Enterprise-Record was unable to contact anyone from Aero Union's management Friday.
However, former Aero Union CEO Vic Alvistur of Chico, who retired from the company several years ago, confirmed the information.
He said he had received calls from a number of the Chico employees Friday about the news.
In July, the U.S. Forest Service canceled its contract with Aero Union, citing unsafe aircraft.
Chico employees "were told the company is closing its doors and they no longer had jobs. There was some insinuations that they should look for new jobs," said Alvistur.
To his knowledge, there were about "a couple dozen" Chico employees traveling to Sacramento and the company had slightly less than 100 employees in total.
After losing the Forest Service contract, there "is no question they can stay open," said Alvistur.
As well as employing Chico residents, Aero Union continued to lease six hangars at the Chico Municipal Airport even after relocating to Sacramento. It has been making lease payments to the city.
Aero Union was founded in Redding in 1960, but moved to Chico in 1964. In 2005, it was sold to a group of investors in the Seattle area. In June 2010, it announced the relocation to Sacramento, sending several divisions down there separately over the course of the year.
It still has a slight presence in Chico. At its peak in Chico, it employed about 230 individuals.
uh
for some reason I thought any company that closed had to give 30 days ntoice, especially if there was a union.
A California business shutting down in the age of Obamanomics?! I am shocked!
“uh
for some reason I thought any company that closed had to give 30 days ntoice, especially if there was a union.”
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I guess when the money is gone...well, it’s gone.
This has less to do with the California economy and more to do with the Federal government deciding it didn’t want any part of using old converted military transports (planes like C-130s and P-3s, P2V Neptunes and DC-4s and DC-6s, all the way back to WW II bombers like B-24s and B-25s) as aerial tankers. After a few fatal crashes of the old aircraft, the Forest Service has insisted upon using smaller and newer aircraft.
}:-)4
What happens to the MAFFS II Modular Airborne FireFighting System they were developing?
Is this the same Aero Union that runs cargo flights between Mexico & LAX??
It’s 60 days, but this law does not apply if you go bankrupt.
“Is this the same Aero Union that runs cargo flights between Mexico & LAX??”
NO...
This also has A LOT to do with politics.
Evergreen wants more money for it’s Super-Tanker 747/DC-10 refits Program. And there are serious questions about the effectiveness of the EXPENSIVE Super-Tanker drops, especially in mountainous environments.
Tell that to the U.S. Postal Service, General Motors, Chrysler, Fannie and Freddie .............
Those 747 tankers look like over kill. Plus they have to be fuel hogs.
Smaller aircraft would be better able to hit the bulleye better and slower. That would mean better coverage, wouldnt it?
$35,000-$45,000 an hour to fly, can only operate from a limited number of airports, one hour minimum turnaround times, Etc.
They look cool, but they are not the answer.
” There was some insinuations that they should look for new jobs,”said Alvistur.
Duh, ya think.
I climbed around in them when they were still owned by FIFT 15 years ago.
Tremendous aircraft, but only two left.
Youtube has some videos, as does Coulson. Just incredible.
This is a case of 'bigger is better' !!
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