Spirit AeroSystems plans massive furloughs, shortened work weeks

Thousands of Spirit AeroSystems employees in Wichita are being furloughed without pay for three weeks, according to a company email obtained by The Wichita Eagle.

Managers and hourly employees at Spirit, Wichita’s largest employer, who are directly associated with production work on a Boeing commercial program — the bulk of the company’s operations — will be placed on 21-day unpaid leave starting Wednesday.

The temporary layoffs apply to Spirit employees on the Boeing lines in Wichita and San Antonio.

All of the company’s employees in Tulsa and McAlester, Oklahoma, will be furloughed during the same three weeks as Spirit and Boeing navigate the coronavirus pandemic.

Beyond the temporary layoffs, some salaried workers will have their work weeks and paychecks cut to four days a week indefinitely, starting Friday.

“Employees need to coordinate with their managers to identify their day off and are encouraged to maintain the day off each week,” the Spirit email says.

Spirit’s U.S.-based executives and board of directors will take a 20% pay cut until further notice. The company’s executive salaries in other countries will be addressed according to local laws and statutory requirements, the email says.

Furloughed workers will continue to have benefits, including health care, for the full three weeks of the temporary leave.

Other worker programs at Spirit will continue as they have been, including:

• Operations in support of defense customers, Airbus and other growth programs.

• Employees assigned to work on the 737 Max Section 44 repair work and the implementation of the ship-in-place order.

• Certain aftermarket and MRO employees will continue to work as directed by management.

• Employees who are able to work from home should continue.

Spirit is also working on paid volunteer assignments available for hourly employees on special production projects, the email says.

“Please keep in mind these action are temporary, and are being taken as a means to lessen the impact of the Boeing suspension and to keep the workforce in place for future growth,” the email says.

This story was originally published April 6, 2020 at 10:16 PM.