Rumor control: No layoffs at USA

The independent web site NASA Watch trotted out a scary headline Tuesday: "USA Layoffs Are About To Begin."

The item inferred the company, which employs about 10,000 people, including 6,500 at Kennedy Space Center, was on the verge of pink-slipping employees, and that they would be sent packing without severance pay.

We checked it out. Here's the real deal:

USA will eliminate 14 flight operations training jobs in Houston (nine with the company and five with subcontractors) this summer. None are at KSC.

USA spokesman Jeff Carr said the company is trying to place workers affected in other jobs. Standard severance packages will be doled out, except to those that do not accept an offer to stay with the company, he said.

The work force level at Kennedy Space Center is expected to remain fairly level from now to 2010, KSC Director Jim Kennedy told workers in February.

Carr said the near-term future is stable: "There is no train wreck here in fiscal 2006 or fiscal 2007 that is going to cause us to send people out the door."

Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale, meanwhile, told workers last month that he would need all hands onboard to safely fly the 16-19 shuttle missions envisioned through 2010.

"I think there are more jobs than we have people to fill them right now. That's my observation," he said. "So if you are worried about finding work, I would say you are worried about the wrong thing."