Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis plans a "major announcement" related to helping the shuttle workforce during a Wednesday morning visit to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. According to a Department of Labor press release, Solis will "make a major announcement to assist NASA workers who will be dislocated as a result of the impending retirement of the Space Shuttle Program."
No further details were immediately available.
The event is not believed to be related to the task force President Obama announced during his April 15 speech at Kennedy Space Center.
Obama announced a $40-million initiative led by the White House, NASA and other agencies to develop a plan for regional economic growth and job creation. He asked for a report by Aug. 15.
NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, U.S. Rep. Suzanne Kosmas and local dignitaries are expected to attend the 9 a.m. press event.
IMAGE: Credit: Department of Labor.
26 comments:
holding my breath.
They do need a lot of people to lay track for the High Speed Rail...
That's very nice for them, if they get a helping hand. Now, what about the rest of us?
okay everyone...take a deep breath and HOLD!
Keep Holding!!! LOL
lay track for High Speed Rail, are you kidding that is like work.
This better be good!
Good for "NASA workers"...What about the contractors? (read between the lines)
Plenty of openings in Louisiana cleaning up the oil spill.
They will give each worker a $1000 credit when they do a short sale on the sale of their home.
I'm an unemployed electrician with no chance for work in sight. I'm not allowed to do small jobs on the side without a contractors license. What makes the space center employees special other than being paid way more than me? They can try to survive on unemployment just like me.
The 20,000 jobs in the county that will go away along with the NASA group could use some help too.
atleast nasa has the brains to clean up that mess
Here's an idea: keep the shuttles flying.
AHHH, those special over-paid KSC workers get another handout!!!! What about the rest of America's unemployed? Oh that right I forgot, they get an unemployment extension. So what so special about the KSC workers, did they do the same for the Automobile industry? This is nothing but a joke.
Each worker gets a severance of half a years salary plus $50,000.00 to help offset the difference of their unemployment checks...that's what I heard yesterday. They get it only if they stay until the end of the shuttle era. If they take a transfer or get another job prior to the end, they forfeit the severance package. The job assistance program they are creating costs more than the end of era retirement plan?
Electician why haven't you gotten a contractors license.
You're not working this would be a good investment for future
work.
Ya want the last shuttles launched you need some very special people. I'm risking my career to keep 'em flying. The opportunity cost is double that $50,000. You'll give a pigskin chuckin' knothead $100 million contract, and you question the value of my lifetime of skills and education? Let me flip you something else...
somehow I think all the JSC contractors will see no benefit from this announcement or anything the Task force comes up with.
You know what???? I'm sick of plans A-Z. I just want my friggin' life back. The KSC workforce is being jerked around as badly by politicians as the oil spill folks.
I am sure that this "announcement" is just a smokescreen to try to save Kosmas's job. This doesn't change the fact that Obama, with Kosmas's help, has ended America's Human Space Flight Program.
Jamie, I don't know where you get your information- but it is FAR from the truth. Workers get severance of one week of pay for each year of service up to 26 weeks. The 50,000 you mention? Not even close. Workers with critical skills can get a completion bonus of up to 15 weeks of pay, paid in increments, and only if they can't get another job (they have to recertify that they are unemployed to get payouts). There are so many conditions on it that only a few will ever see a dime of this money.
Jamie get your facts straight 1 weeks pay for every year of employement up to 26 weeks and not everybody gets a stay on bonus only critical skills
Jamie get your facts straight 1 weeks pay for every year of employement up to 26 weeks and not everybody gets a stay on bonus only critical skills
....ksc should not get 'special' compensation; any more than the multitudes of other industries moving to overseas, mexico, etc. Cape Caneraval has eliminated launch pads/jobs for two decades now with Delta II next. The KSC workforce has been inflated for several years - the worse thing you can do is pay to keep everyone static as the area declines. Innovation & start-ups would flow. Its amazing Florida has allowed the Tomahawk plant to leave, launch pads to shut down and spent millions on Spaceport Florida with little to show - but then again was a gov't led handout. Refer to definition of insanity.
Soon there will be lots of jobs scrubbing oily birds, shoveling crude off the beaches, and collecting dead fish!
Remember, KSC gets special treatment because Florida is a borderline "Blue state".
Unfortunately:
- Most KSC workers (I believe) have pride in their work and recoil at the idea of accepting a government handout.
- BO wants a $40m regional growth plan / report by Aug 15. Given his timeline on other critical national issues, when do you expect anyone will see that money?
Folks, we have a major leadership crisis.
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