[AAACE-NLA] Chinook helicopters?

[Laurie Sheridan]

Hi, Andrea--

You are spurring me to think all over again about what it does in fact mean to "outsource" our capacity to make things--the stuff that makes other stuff.   In the '80's I mostly thought of it in terms of job losses and tax revenue, as well as productive capacity.   Wasteful, definitely, but also potentially dangerous, I think.   These days I'm also thinking about security issues--not only or even especially in light of global terrorism, but just as in, what would happen if  U.S. access to such products were cut off in a war, or other global or climate disaster?  It seems folly to me to "outsource" such things, and smarter heads than mine are in discussion about this these days.  I think they are right to worry.  

BTW--my husband had a good laugh when I told him that Chinook production had been "outsourced" from PA to NJ--and that is the word they did in fact use.  well, it probably seemed that way to workers who lost their jobs or couldn't commute or move.

Laurie

Laurie Sheridan, Workforce Development Coordinator
World Education/SABES Central Resource Center
44 Farnsworth St.
Boston, MA 02210
(617) 385-3737
lsheridan at worlded.org
 
SABES:  Training Leaders in Adult Basic Education 


>>> Andrea Wilder <andreawilder at comcast.net> 2/27/2008 6:27 PM >>>
Laurie, thanks.

I remember in one of my MIT courses in the '80's much discussion about 
getting rid of our machinery, the stuff that makes other stuff.  Either 
it was used somewhere else as is, or melted  down to make other 
machines.  What a waste.

Thanks for such a comprehensive explanation of the history of the 
Chinook;  a kind of mixed picture, indeed.

Andrea

On Feb 27, 2008, at 3:35 PM, Laurie Sheridan wrote:

> After a little checking, it appears that Chinook helicopters are still 
> manufactured in the U.S., at the Boeing plant in Ridley Park, PA 
> (outside Philadelphia).  They are represented primarily by the United 
> Aerospace Workers local 1069.  Apparently they lost a lot of warehouse 
> jobs there in late 2005, but those jobs were out-sourced 
> to--Swedesboro, NJ!
>
> Most Boeing workers nationally are represented by the International 
> Association of Machinists (IAM), and have suffered a lot of job losses 
> and concessions in recent years.  But the Chinook is still 
> manufactured in the U.S.   Interestingly, I also found that at least 
> in the 1976-79 period Boeing took a lot of heat for being involved in 
> a joint venture with an Iranian company to co-produce Chinook 
> helicopters in Iran--during the period of the Shah's departure and 
> replacement by Islamic fundamentalists, and the capture of U.S. 
> hostages during the Carter regime.   Made me think about the potential 
> security issues that outsourcing key manufacturing can entail.
>
> So, it's kind of a mixed picture.  When I was a machinist for General 
> Electric on Boston's North Shore (in the 1970-80's), they were also 
> manufacturing engines for helicopters (and mainly, jet engines)--and 
> they still are, but on a much smaller scale than when there were over 
> 8,000 union workers there.
>
> I guess the good news is that helicopter manufacturing has not all 
> been outsourced and still accounts for a number of good union jobs in 
> the U.S.   The not-so-good news is that this giant military machine is 
> still operating full tilt and active in Iraq and Afghanistan.  So, I'm 
> glad to hear the Chinooks are being used to transport needed supplies 
> to Pakistani earthquake victims, too.
>
> Laurie
>
> Laurie Sheridan, Workforce Development Coordinator
> World Education/SABES Central Resource Center
> 44 Farnsworth St.
> Boston, MA 02210
> (617) 385-3737
> lsheridan at worlded.org 
>
> SABES:  Training Leaders in Adult Basic Education
>
>
>>>> Andrea Wilder <andreawilder at comcast.net> 2/27/2008 10:14 AM >>>
> Hi everyone--
>
> I've got a question after listening to Greg Mortenson last night talk
> about building schools in Pakistan, and responding to the earthquake
> crisis (2005) with Chinook helicopters transporting food and medical
> supplies--where are the Chinook helicopters built?  What are we still
> building in this country?  Does anybody know?--now that we have sold
> our tool and die machines to China....
>
> Andrea
>
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