IAM&AW, AIA Oppose Cuts to Aerospace and Defense

Labor and industry urge President Obama to preserve American jobs

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The International Association of Machinists and the Aerospace Industries Association sent a letter to President Obama Sept. 1 urging him to preserve the aerospace and defense industry and its high-skilled workforce.

"As you finalize proposals to save and create American jobs, we urge you to consider the vital role that our second to none aerospace and defense industry has played in America's global leadership, and to keep in mind the many thousands of aerospace and defense workers that face the loss of their jobs in these difficult economic times," the letter urged.

The enormous contribution of aerospace to our national bottom line—$214.5 billion in sales and a $51.2 billion trade surplus in 2010—cannot be taken for granted, the letter argued.  "Doomsday" cuts to defense, the end of the shuttle program and delays to the FAA's Next Generation Air Transportation System all threaten America's global leadership.

At a time when Americans traditionally gather to celebrate the contributions of American labor to the economic prosperity and national security of our nation, it is notable that industry and labor stand together to urge President Obama to preserve jobs that are crucial to our security and economic well-being.

The full text of the letter can be read here: http://bit.ly/q9rtxm

SOURCE Aerospace Industries Association