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Feb. 17--Hawker Beechcraft jobs that will be lost in Salina won't be transferred to Wichita, but many will go to Mexico.
According to a story published Tuesday on the KWCH-TV Web site, Hawker Beechcraft officials let Salina workers know Tuesday.
"They don't call it outsourcing because it's going to another one of their facilities. But the fact is, it's work that won't be here when the economy turns around," Machinists Union President Steve Rooney said.
Rooney says the trend is troubling. He says Kansas has to figure out a way to try and compete against cheap labor in other countries. If not, he fears Wichita will no longer be the Air Capitol of the World.
"I have concerns that it won't, that's correct. Too many jobs leaving here and going elsewhere," he said.
About 260 people work at the Salina plant. Rooney says there's no definite timeline of when the facility will close. When it does, about half of those jobs will go to Mexico.
The other half will go to other suppliers and vendors. Rooney says those suppliers and vendors will be at the plant this week to learn more about what they make.
Hawker announced in November that the Salina facility would close. The lease on that building is up in 2012.
