Kansas creates resource webpage for aviation workers affected by Boeing 737 Max halt
Three state government agencies have created a webpage with helpful resources for aviation industry workers affected by the Boeing 737 Max production halt.
The webpage, www.dol.ks.gov/AviationWorkerResponse, has information from the Kansas departments of Children and Families, Labor and Commerce. The resources are intended to help aircraft workers and supply chain contractors “have a seamless transition to services that will provide a bridge until production begins again or other employment is found.”
“First and foremost, my goal is to help Kansas workers,” Secretary of Labor Delia Garcia said Tuesday in a statement. “We will continue to add available resources and contact information as we work to address this challenge.”
The launch of the Aviation Worker Response webpage comes after Spirit AeroSystems, the largest employer in the state’s largest city, announced it would lay off about 20% of its workforce. Economic multipliers show the 2,800 layoffs at Spirit will impact about 5,800 jobs in the region.
If the Spirit workers aren’t rehired until next year, there will be an estimated $220 million payroll impact on the local economy, The Eagle has reported. Lost retail sales tax collection could be $1.25 million in Wichita, $617,000 in Sedgwick County and almost $13 million to the state.
“My team will continue to work to connect impacted workers and businesses with the resources they need during this critical time,” Governor Laura Kelly said in a statement. “This information is an important first step as Secretary Garcia coordinates our comprehensive response effort.”
The Boeing 737 Max has been grounded since March after two crashes killed 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Boeing has been working to get the jet back in the air and make it safer, but the timeline has been pushed back multiple times as more technical problems have been discovered.
Boeing announced in December that it would suspend production of the 737 Max. Spirit said last week that it still has not received notice from Boeing on how long the production suspension will last. The day before the layoff was announced, Sen. Jerry Moran suggested that Boeing had been uncooperative with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, prolonging the problems with the plane.
Resources listed on the government webpage include employment services, unemployment insurance benefits, a shared work program, rapid responses for layoffs, retraining and hiring of laid off workers, food assistance, financial assistance for families with children and child care assistance.