Fri, Apr 04, 2008
Obama Says USAF Decision Justified If Merits Win Out Over
Boeing Rival
"Senator Barack Obama
just walked away from another fight for American jobs," declared R.
Thomas Buffenbarger, president of the International Association of
Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). "This is becoming his
trademark. But never before has he done so on this scale, with
44,000 American jobs at stake."
At a town meeting in Wilkes Barre, PA, this week, Senator Obama
(right) suggested the Air Force's decision on the tanker deal was
justified, if it turns out the bid offered by Northrop/EADS
was 10-15 percent better than Boeing's.
That sounds like rational reasoning... but Buffenbarger
asserts larger issues are at stake.
"He just doesn't get it," said Buffenbarger. "Airbus has been
subsidized by the French government, the British government, even
the German and Spanish governments.
"For Senator Obama to equivocate on this issue is a complete
embarrassment. But for him to equate our efforts to protect 44,000
jobs and national security with drawing 'a moat around America'
just shows he's no friend of blue collar workers.
"Maybe Senator Obama doesn't 'mind the Pentagon procuring from
other countries' but I sure as hell do," Buffenbarger adds. "What
is at stake is America's manufacturing sector. What's at stake is
over $40 billion in American taxpayer dollars."
The IAM represents nearly 720,000 members including 35,000
Boeing employees at locations across the country. the union has
been among the most outspoken critics of the USAF decision to award
its KC-X aerial refueling tanker contract to the Northop/EADS
KC-45A, based off the Airbus A330.
More News
Aero Linx: International Flying Farmers IFF is a not-for-profit organization started in 1944 by farmers who were also private pilots. We have members all across the United States a>[...]
From 2017 (YouTube Version): Remembrances Of An Israeli Air Force Test Pilot Early in 2016, ANN contributor Maxine Scheer traveled to Israel, where she had the opportunity to sit d>[...]
"We renegotiated what our debt restructuring is on a lot of our debts, mostly with the family. Those debts are going to be converted into equity..." Source: Excerpts from a short v>[...]
Also: B-29 Superfortress Reunion, FAA Wants Controllers, Spirit Airlines Pulls Back, Gogo Galileo Van's Aircraft posted a short video recapping the goings-on around their reorganiz>[...]
Chart Supplement US A flight information publication designed for use with appropriate IFR or VFR charts which contains data on all airports, seaplane bases, and heliports open to >[...]