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Business Title: Cessna workers uneasy about plans to cut 700 jobs (Witchata, KS) (WICHITA, Kan.) — Cessna plans to cut 700 jobs. Employees were notified through an email from Cessna CEO Jack Pelton Tuesday morning. Eyewitness News spoke with Cessna Communications Director Doug Oliver. He would not say where the cuts would happen, but many believe Wichita will bare the brunt of the layoffs. Workers say the news hurts, but doesn't come as surprise. "We had heard rumors that there would be a layoff, but we weren't for sure," said Delora Messer, "until today." She sat in her car at a light by Cessna after her Tuesday shift ended, just like dozens of others. "I worry about my job. "I've got a lot of seniority in, but you just don't know what's going to happen." Theresa Vasquez has worked as Cessna for 36 years. "It was a fight for our jobs, that was the bottom line, it was a fight for our jobs. Without a job you have no insurance, no wage increases and no pension. It's not there if you don't have a job." Vasquez made it through the recession in the 80's, made it through the recession after 9-11 but says the most recent one is much worse. She says there was always hope in the past that you would get called back if you got a layoff notice. She says she fears that's not the case anymore. "The bigger picture is that they want to eliminate as many jobs as they can in Wichita and send them to cheap labor like Mexico or China. We can't compete with a dollar an hour." Cessna says the layoffs are due to a slowing economic recovery, decrease in orders and a need to reduce production. Cessna employs around 6,200 people in Wichita. That's about half of its workforce from just two years ago. In November of 2008, the company employed approx.12,000 people in Wichita. The news sounds bleak to those who could be cut. But economic experts, like Jeremy Hill at Wichita State's Center for Economic Development and Research says it's not that bad. Wichita will still have an aviation industry. It may just not be as big as before. "I don't think they're gone forever," he said. "The aviation sector's had a significant hit this year and last and it will take some time to recover." Hill says 20% of Wichita's economy is wrapped in the manufacturing industry. From it's peak in June, 2001, we've lost 34% of the workforce. That, Hill predicts, means an evolution in the workforce. "I think temporary and contract workers are going to increase going into the future," said Hill, and I think that's a component of the new structure of our economy." And that forecast isn't what anyone employed by Cessna wanted to hear. "Everyone's kind of bummed out," described Messer. "No body's for sure of their job, or whatt's going to happen. It's just kind of depressing." Expect updates on-air, online and on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/KWCH12). Text of email from Jack Pelton: Dear Cessnans, The gains made in the first half of the year in the global economy have stalled, and Cessna’s performance continues to mirror the lackluster economy. While cancellations have slowed, the recovery and growth we expected to see throughout the year have not materialized, and the timing of any recovery remains uncertain. This requires additional adjustment to our production schedules, and more than ever, cost is critical to our competitive position. We must continue to lower our cost structure to remain competitive. These continuing challenges have forced us to make the difficult decision to announce an additional work force reduction of 700 employees. This was not an easy decision and not easy news to bring to Cessnans. I know you have questions and concerns regarding these reductions, and we will work diligently to ensure we communicate the full impact to employees as soon as possible. Our strategy is to defend and protect our current markets while investing in products and services to secure our future, but we can do this only if we succeed in restructuring our processes and reducing our costs. This is not the responsibility only of one organization or department; it means every Cessnan must keep a watchful eye on costs, focus on continuous improvement and quickly and decisively eliminate processes that do not add value. It is not easy to bring news to you of further reductions, but our ability to compete now and in the future leaves us little choice. I know these are hard times, but we will get through if we work as one team, each of us playing an important role.
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#1. To: All, War (#0)
Get your sorry ass in here, War.
Clinton and Cuomo are the true bandits who lit the fuse to this economic crisis we're now in. All in the name of getting more minorities in houses: http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=12554
The good news here is that this is a niche market,and the greedy "dividends above all" people are going to be the ones in the Chinese Cessna's when they fall out of the sky.
"I adore John McCain, support him 100 percent and will do everything I can to support his reelection. As everyone knows, I was honored and proud to run with him. And Todd and I were with him in D.C. just a week ago." (Sarah Palin,Dec 2009) ************************************ DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Me) I don't know or F ing care. (Mad Dog posted on 2009-12-26 16:36:33 ET,post # 105 http://libertysflame.com/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=5510&Disp=114#C114)
Enjoy the bozo bozo...
The bad news is that instructors giving lessons in, and the the students taking lessons in these Chinese Cessnas owned by the 'greedy "dividends above all" people' are the ones who will be falling to earth.
(sneakypete)DID Palin say or write these things or not? (Mad Dog's reply) I don't know or F ing care. Pete, MD doesn't know or care what Palin says or writes, he'll support her no matter what.
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