Cessna Jobs Exported?

Is Wichita’s loss Vancouver’s gain? As Cessna Aircraft prepared its workforce for a pre-Christmas layoff announcement, workers at Vancouver-based Avcorp Industries were getting ready to design, test, build and support the center wing box, vertical stabilizer and rudder for the new CJ-3bizjet. Cessna awarded the contract to Avcorp Sept. 10 and it has theInternational Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers wondering if it violates their deal with Cessna. However, Cessna spokeswoman Marilyn Richwine told The Wichita Eagle that subcontracting large parts of the fuselage doesn’t break the union contract because Cessna already contracts those parts out on its other aircraft. Meanwhile, Richwine was the bearer of bad news last Tuesday when she warned workers there will be more layoffs in the early months of 2003. Machinists’ spokesman Steve Rooney said he expects more than 500 people will be out of work.