Union Support Grows for Boeing
Tanker
Twenty-two unions,
labor federations and affiliated organizations have
signed and delivered a letter to House and Senate
lawmakers calling for Boeing to immediately be
awarded the Air Force refueling tanker contract.
Citing the Government Accountability Office (GAO)
report that said the Airbus tanker lacked the
ability to refuel all of the Air Force’s aircraft
and calling Boeing’s KC-767 “the clear winner” in
the competition to replace the Air Force’s aging
fleet of tankers, the labor groups are urging
Congress to award the contract to Boeing without
delay.
“The Air Force needs new tankers now,” said the
letter, which was delivered to all 535 members of
Congress. “Continuing this phony “competition” only
adds unnecessary delays and costs to the tanker
refueling program. The Boeing KC-767 fulfills the
requirements of the original Request for Proposal
(RFP) and has over 85 percent domestic content – a
clear win for America.”
The Air Force decision to award the $40 billion
contract to Northrop Grumman/EADS Airbus, was
rebuked by the GAO report, which cited the Air Force
for failing to follow its own guidelines and
awarding the massive contract to a more costly
aircraft that is too large for many airfields.
Additional concerns outside the scope of the GAO
report were also raised.
“Only Boeing has the skilled workforce and fully
operational production line to meet the Air Force’s
demand for new tankers. We strongly urge that
Congress act now and award the tanker refueling
contract to the original winner, the Boeing KC-767.”
