US Air Force weighs keeping jobs in US or moving them to France

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Workers Independent News

Lede: The U.S. Air Force is deciding between a French company and Boeing to supply new aerial refueling tankers – and thousands of U.S. jobs hang in the balance. Doug Cunningham reports.

By Doug Cunningham

The $40 billion dollar contract means critical support for 44,000 U.S. jobs, according to Dr. Gabriela Lemus, Executive Director of the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement.

: “We’re talking about jobs. The difference is something to the extent of 44,000 versus 1,000. And EADS, which is the French company, has partnered with Northrup-Grumman, which gives them a certain amount of cover in the United States. But they’re talking only about 1,000 jobs in the state of Alabama versus 44,000 jobs which would be shared throughout different states.”

There are also serious questions about $100 million in alleged illegal trade subsidies being used by the French firm as it competes for this huge U.S. defense contract. Dr. Lemus says giving the contract to the French company is essentially outsourcing U.S. defense needs.

: “It’s healthy to have competition , but it’s also really critical that they take into account t hat we need to keep really good jobs at home, especially these kinds of jobs which are critical not only to the economy, but to the national security of the nation.”


Read more: http://www.laborradio.org/node/6523

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This story is not copyrighted and may be distributed freely.

[Demeter]

1. Okay--What Idiot Thinks He Can Do This?

oh, that idiot. Carry on, then.

[melody]

2. That's right, GOP, sell out the Americans altogether

That'll help things.

Yet more proof that they *don't* work for us.

[Igel]

5. Not decided yet.

The union employees should hope that the engineers propose a good product and management puts together a good bid.

[swag]

3. Oh, Jesus. This is rich.

[Deja Q]

4. I thought we hated the French, freedom fries and all?

Too bizarre.

[RC]

6. How long till we out source our replacement fighter planes to Russia?

What's left? Israel is already making our bullets we use in Iraq.

[zalinda]

7. There should be a law

that anything used for government use, must be made or done on US soil. The only exception is if a US company cannot do it. This is insane.

zalinda

[Tesha]

14. If you passed such a law, don't expect to buy any semiconductors.

Computer chips and all other microelectronics, are essentially
*ALL* made overseas these days, especially for the packaging
steps.

While we *COULD* pull production back "onshore", it would be
a massive disruption to our military; they've been shifting
more and more towards a policy favoring "COTS" -- Commercial
Off-The-Shelf technology 'cause the mil-spec stuff just wasn't
keeping up with the technology our enemies could buy at Walmart.

Tesha

[Captain Hilts]

8. Isn't anyone who was in the Marines/army going to say something snarky about the Air Force? nt

[sutz12]

11. As a former Marine, I'd like to....

but we've been flying the British designed Harrier for too many years. :)

[Captain Hilts]

12. But, that's not .... France!

C'mon! Where are the references to the 'Chair Force'....

Clean fingernails.

Close air support at 35,000 ft....

[itsrobert]

16. Actually the other branches are ahead of the Air Force in dealing with EADS

http://www.eadsnorthamerica.com/1024/en/Homepage1024.html

Have a good look around.

[onager]

18. OK, here you go...

From a former Marine (as everyone knows, there are no ex-Marines. There are former Marines and dead Marines, but no ex-Marines):

How To Secure A Building

If you tell the US Army to secure a building, they will post a guard.

If you tell the US Navy to secure a building, they will turn out the lights and lock the door.

If you tell the US Marine Corps to secure a building, they will call in air and artillery strikes on the building, followed by an infantry assault in force.

If you tell the US Air Force to secure a building, they will take out a 25-year lease with an option to buy.

[defendandprotect]

9. Somewhat aside . . . my husband heard about a month ago that they were training AF troops at

Fort Dix/NJ . . . which would suggest that they are going to use them as "army" --

This was a radio/news report --

[RantinRavin]

15. nothing really new there

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123038753

[Captain Hilts]

17. He in the military or work in the military community or Dix area? nt

[provis99]

10. The headline is a little off kilter

It reads like we've decided to outsource the Air Force to France. As in, hire the French Air Force to defend us. Not as demented as you think when you realize the way Bush has outsourced military duties to foreign mercenaries in Iraq.

[TankLV]

13. WTF?!?!?! This is but the FIRST of many shoes to drop...

and we have at least 18 months to go with this crowd...

[eagler]

19. wouldn't it just be cheaper to send the jobs to China?

[Hieronymus]

20. Could it be the outrageous health care costs one must pay US workers?