IAM making efforts to save jobs

After the recent announcement that Army Fleet Support could see as many as 300 jobs lost due to a reduction in aviators trained at Fort Rucker, union representatives are still hard at work to save as many jobs as possible.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) said the layoffs would come incrementally.

The number of employees subject to layoff may increase or decrease as a final analysis of the requirements is determined by the Army and Army Fleet Support.

A statement released by IAM on Oct. 25 said the company intends to work with the “customer” on delaying the effective date of the layoffs and the feasibility of an early retirement program.

The local IAM website www.iam2003.org has a link to a pre-formatted letter to send to Alabama senators and representatives regarding the layoffs.

The letter implores the representatives and senators to keep the flying hour program fully funded.

“We are a generous people here in the Wiregrass that contribute and stimulate our local and extended economies around the Fort Rucker area, spending millions of dollars annually on services, commodities and charities,” the letter reads.

The letter also states that AFS provides warfighters with the highest quality of maintenance for the entire Fort Rucker fleet.

“We provide critical peacetime and wartime mission requirements by sustaining, maintaining and keeping the fleet flyable that ensures out national defense posture is always at the ready to defend our domestic and foreign policies and interests,” the letter reads.

According to the IAM, no further updates are available on the current state of layoffs or if they have received a response from local leaders regarding Fort Rucker’s flying hour program.