Larson Reaction To Pratt Layoff Announcement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 21, 2000
Larson Reaction To Pratt Layoff Announcement
My first concern is for the potential dislocation of workers, and the affect it will have on hundreds of families. I hope to meet with IAM officials on Monday (January 24) to determine what can be done to assist these workers. I have talked to Jim Parent (Directing Business Representative of International Association of Machinists District 91) this afternoon and pledge my support to help them mitigate these layoffs.I also plan on meeting with the entire Congressional delegation to talk about how we can be of assistance federally, in particular, with dislocated worker re-training.
This is very hard news, but not entirely unexpected. We have been talking about the downturn in aviation markets for over a year. That is one of the reasons I invited Congressman Murtha (D-PA Ranking Member of the House Defense Appropriations Committee) to visit the plant last week ? to look for new and innovative ways that the government can work with Pratt to help solidify the commercial base, and work through this down cycle in the commercial markets. The simple fact is that 200 fewer engines and 600 fewer airplanes are being ordered than just two years ago, and you can?t build engines without planes.
Now is a critical time for Pratt to inform its workers and the general public about its future plans. People need to be educated about where the company sees itself in the next five and ten years.
While I certainly cannot control the commercial markets, I will continue to work this year to leverage every cent of federal funding available to help Pratt through this lean period ? but, again, the employees and their families should be our primary concern right now.
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