San Antonio Jobs with Boeing Could be Lost
Hundreds of San Antonio jobs with The Boeing Company could soon be lost.
The Pentagon recently announced that the company’s Port San Antonio aviation center has lost a nine-year, $3.8 billion contract extension. That contract - to provide maintenance and logistics services for the KC-10 fleet of aerial refueling tankers - has instead been awarded to Northrop Grumman Corporation, which could result in the loss of more than 100 jobs.
Officials at the Boeing Global Services and Support center, which employs about 1,700 aerospace workers, told SACommunities that the company is disappointed. Boeing has not yet disclosed exactly how many jobs will be lost.
Chicago-based Boeing currently builds the KC-10 and holds the plane’s service contract, which will expire in January. Since 1998, workers in San Antonio have provided constant service on the aircraft, and have returned 750 planes on time.
Boeing does have one alternative, as the company is allowed to appeal the Air Force’s decision based on merit. If Northrop Grumman Corp. does take over the contract, however, it will bring 150 to 300 jobs to that company’s facility in Louisiana.
Boeing’s potential job losses would only add to San Antonio’s declining economy. Although the city saw its unemployment rate decrease from 7.1 percent to 7 percent during August, several jobs were still lost during that time period.
The city had a total non-farm employment of 845,900 workers during August, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics. That number is down from 846,100 workers during July and a .8 percent decrease from last year.
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