NFFE President Erwin and IAM International President Martinez Join Forces to Save 573 Red River Army Depot Workers
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
(National Federation of Federal Employees)
This week, NFFE and IAM workers at the
Red River Army Depot (RRAD) in Texarkana, Texas
joined forces with NFFE President Erwin and IAM
International President Martinez to stop 573
layoffs planned for early May due to a workload
decrease at the Depot. The layoffs are
scheduled to affect 170 federal employees and
403 IAM civilian defense contractors, impacting
families and the regional economy.
The joint effort is aimed at
Capitol Hill, regional government, and the many
businesses that rely on a vibrant workforce at
RRAD, which pumps over $2 billion into the
regional economy. The reason for the
downturn in workload at RRAD is unexplained,
leaving RRAD command and workers asking
questions, because all other indicators show
that the demand is still heavy for RRAD
military vehicle production programs.
In a series of letters to Congress, IAM
President Martinez and NFFE President Erwin
call upon all senators, representatives, state
and local officials, and members of the
Texarkana business community to join the effort
to stabilize the workload immediately.
“We request your assistance in
demanding that the Department of Defense take
immediate action to protect workload and
provide RRAD command with the necessary
approval and authority to avert these needless
and harmful layoffs,” stated a letter to
Congress dated March 20, 2018. “If not,
the impact on the Texarkana area, including its
economy and communities, will not go
unnoticed.”
Joint
IAM-NFFE Letter to Congressional
Delegates