WICHITA, Kan. (AP) - Spirit AeroSystems is offering voluntary layoffs to all its union-covered technical and professional workers in Wichita as the company continues to respond to the grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX and the coronavirus pandemic.
It wasn’t immediately clear how many jobs will be affected by the move, which was announced in an email to employees Wednesday night, The Wichita Eagle reported. The final day of work for those who take the buyout will be no later than May 14.
Last year, the employees’ union, the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, represented more than 1,600 technical and professional workers at Spirit, but the company has since announced several layoffs, early retirement offers and furloughs.
The announcement comes after Boeing said Wednesday it would cut its workforce by 10% as the demand for new airplanes continues to drop during the coronavirus pandemic.
Spirit spirit also is struggling because it makes about 70% of the Boeing 737 MAX, which was grounded last spring after two deadly crashes.
The new voluntary layoffs are a “first step” in the company’s plans to deal with Boeing’s announcement, according to the email from Spirit CEO Tom Gentile.
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