Post by west-texan on Jul 31, 2010 14:37:44 GMT -5
I agree with the guy that Amarillo is not the squeaky wheel, so we don't get things here.
And you can't find our representatives when you need them.
>>>>>>>>>> Not a single comment from the Amarillo leaders or the AEDC.
Just a wishy washy comment from Mac Thornberry.
It's like the Amarillo leaders don't want Amarillo to grow, and they don't care if jobs are lost.
We better hope Pantex does not lose jobs,
because the AEDC will try to replace those good jobs with low pay call center jobs.
That is how our city leaders usually operate in Amarillo.
www.amarillo.com/stories/073110/new_news9.shtml
Home > News > Local News
Web-posted Saturday, July 31, 2010
Consolidation could hurt Pantex
Union says more than half of jobs may be cut
By Jim McBride
jim.mcbride@amarillo.com
Union officials said Friday a proposed move to consolidate management and operations contracts at Pantex and a Tennessee weapons facility could cost 1,700 jobs here, but the area's congressional representative said he doesn't foresee any significant Pantex job cuts linked to government contracting reforms.
Under contract reforms announced earlier this year, the National Nuclear Security Administration plans to conduct a bidding competition for a single contract to manage Pantex and Tennessee's Y-12 National Security Complex, which produces uranium parts for warheads. The reforms also include a contract option to manage other operations performed at South Carolina's Savannah River Site, which handles tritium, a radioactive gas used in nuclear weapons.
Pantex, located about 17 miles northeast of Amarillo, assembles, dismantles and modifies nuclear weapons. The contract for B&W Pantex, which manages and operates the plant for the NNSA, is set to expire this fall. The plant employs more than 3,000 workers.
The NNSA is now finalizing a draft request for proposals for its consolidation plan, and NNSA officials said Friday they would not comment on matter because the request for proposals has not been completed.
Clarence Rashada, president of Pantex's Metal Trades Council, said he discussed possible job loss estimates with some Pantex union workers on Thursday. Based on estimates from national union officials, Rashada said as many as 1,700 Pantex jobs could be eliminated under the contract consolidation.
"Possibly a lot of our work could go away, between Savannah River and Y-12," he said. "It's bigger than labor; it's going to affect the entire community if this happens."
Rashada criticized Texas lawmakers in Washington and said they haven't done enough to raise questions about the proposed consolidation.
"Our representatives, we can't find them when we need them. They are asleep at the helm," he said. "It's not about Democrats, it's not about Republicans. It's not about union. This whole city's going to be hurting because we're not the squeaky wheel, so we're not going to get anything."
Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, said he doesn't envision any big job cuts at Pantex, but said he has received a letter from the union, citing its concerns about the proposed contract consolidation. He has forwarded that letter to the NNSA and asked the agency to review the union's concerns.
"Their concerns at least will be taken into account as they (NNSA) try to figure out whatever final solicitation they want to come up with," Thornberry said. "The work we do at Pantex is so essential that I just believe strongly that there will not be significant job cuts. I think it's more the administration of the contracts that this could affect and that's only going to affect a minimal number of people."
And you can't find our representatives when you need them.
>>>>>>>>>> Not a single comment from the Amarillo leaders or the AEDC.
Just a wishy washy comment from Mac Thornberry.
It's like the Amarillo leaders don't want Amarillo to grow, and they don't care if jobs are lost.
We better hope Pantex does not lose jobs,
because the AEDC will try to replace those good jobs with low pay call center jobs.
That is how our city leaders usually operate in Amarillo.
www.amarillo.com/stories/073110/new_news9.shtml
Home > News > Local News
Web-posted Saturday, July 31, 2010
Consolidation could hurt Pantex
Union says more than half of jobs may be cut
By Jim McBride
jim.mcbride@amarillo.com
Union officials said Friday a proposed move to consolidate management and operations contracts at Pantex and a Tennessee weapons facility could cost 1,700 jobs here, but the area's congressional representative said he doesn't foresee any significant Pantex job cuts linked to government contracting reforms.
Under contract reforms announced earlier this year, the National Nuclear Security Administration plans to conduct a bidding competition for a single contract to manage Pantex and Tennessee's Y-12 National Security Complex, which produces uranium parts for warheads. The reforms also include a contract option to manage other operations performed at South Carolina's Savannah River Site, which handles tritium, a radioactive gas used in nuclear weapons.
Pantex, located about 17 miles northeast of Amarillo, assembles, dismantles and modifies nuclear weapons. The contract for B&W Pantex, which manages and operates the plant for the NNSA, is set to expire this fall. The plant employs more than 3,000 workers.
The NNSA is now finalizing a draft request for proposals for its consolidation plan, and NNSA officials said Friday they would not comment on matter because the request for proposals has not been completed.
Clarence Rashada, president of Pantex's Metal Trades Council, said he discussed possible job loss estimates with some Pantex union workers on Thursday. Based on estimates from national union officials, Rashada said as many as 1,700 Pantex jobs could be eliminated under the contract consolidation.
"Possibly a lot of our work could go away, between Savannah River and Y-12," he said. "It's bigger than labor; it's going to affect the entire community if this happens."
Rashada criticized Texas lawmakers in Washington and said they haven't done enough to raise questions about the proposed consolidation.
"Our representatives, we can't find them when we need them. They are asleep at the helm," he said. "It's not about Democrats, it's not about Republicans. It's not about union. This whole city's going to be hurting because we're not the squeaky wheel, so we're not going to get anything."
Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Clarendon, said he doesn't envision any big job cuts at Pantex, but said he has received a letter from the union, citing its concerns about the proposed contract consolidation. He has forwarded that letter to the NNSA and asked the agency to review the union's concerns.
"Their concerns at least will be taken into account as they (NNSA) try to figure out whatever final solicitation they want to come up with," Thornberry said. "The work we do at Pantex is so essential that I just believe strongly that there will not be significant job cuts. I think it's more the administration of the contracts that this could affect and that's only going to affect a minimal number of people."