Sequestering "Hiding" Layoff Notices For The Loss of Over One Million Jobs

The Obama Administration Is Trying To Hide Jobs Impact Of Defense Cuts

Obama Admin ‘Slapped’ Businesses, Call Layoff Notices ‘Inappropriate’

“The Obama administration slapped at defense contractors on Monday, saying threats to issue layoff notices before the election because of pending Pentagon cuts is ‘inappropriate.’” (“Obama Administration Pushes Back At Defense Layoff Threats,” The Hill, 7/30/12)

• “Behind the potential layoff notices is the 1988 Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification, or WARN, Act. The law requires companies with more than 100 employees to alert workers that they may be laid off if there is a foreseeable event in the next 60 days that is likely to require the dismissals.” (“As ‘Fiscal Cliff’ Looms, Debate Over Pre-Election Day Layoff Notices Heats Up,” Washington Post, 7/31/12)
• OBAMA ADMIN NOTICE: “WARN Act notice to employees of Federal contractors, including in the defense industry, is not required 60 days in advance of January 2, 2013, and would be inappropriate…” (“Obama Administration Pushes Back At Defense Layoff Threats,” The Hill, 7/30/12)

UNIVERSITY STUDY: Over 1 Million Jobs ‘Would Be Lost Due To DOD Budget Cuts’

University Study: ‘[T]otal of 1,090,359 jobs … would be lost due to DOD budget cuts’ “The estimated decrease in federal spending with the implementation of the Budget Control Act of 2011 (spending for FY 2012 and FY 2013) will reduce DOD spending by a total of $56.7 billion… A total of 1,090,359 jobs with a total labor income of $46.5 billion would be lost due to DOD budget cuts in FY 2012-FY 2013.”  (“Sequestration Puts 2.14 Million Total Jobs At Risk,” George Mason University, P.1, 7/17/12)

• ‘Lockheed Could Have To Lay Off As Many As 10,000 Workers Next Year,’ will ‘send pink slips to each of its 120,000 employees nationwide in early November.’ “CEO Robert Stevens told the House Armed Services Committee that Lockheed could have to lay off as many as 10,000 workers next year. … Lockheed Martin, the state's largest federal contractor, has said it would send pink slips to each of its 120,000 employees nationwide in early November to comply with federal and state layoff notification laws.” (“Md. Defense Contractors Press Congress For Details Of Cuts,” The Baltimore Sun, 7/29/12)
• ‘Northrop Grumman … to lay off thousands.’ “Northrop Grumman Corp. says it is already having difficulty attracting bright, tech-savvy workers. The CEO of Lockheed Martin Corp. told Congress this month that his company could have to lay off thousands of employees.” (“Md. Defense Contractors Press Congress For Details Of Cuts,” The Baltimore Sun, 7/29/12)
• “Pentagon officials told Congress this week that between 89,000 and 200,000 civilian employees might have to be cut.” (“Federal Budget Cuts Loom Over Texas, Dallas-Fort Worth Defense Employers,” The Dallas Morning News, 7/28/12)

SEN. LEVIN (D-MI): ‘Severely Damaging If Sequestration Occurs’

“‘I sure as hell hope that sequestration doesn’t happen,’ Panetta told a joint House panel focused on veterans issues. ‘It would be, as I’ve said, time and time again, a disaster in terms of the Defense Department, as far as our budget is concerned and as far as our ability to respond to the threats that are out there.’” (“3 GOP Senators To Tour Presidential Battleground States Warning About Defense Cuts,” The Washington Post, 7/25/12)

• SEC. PANETTA: “I think you all recognize that sequester would be entirely unacceptable, and I really urge both sides to work together to try to find the kind of comprehensive solution that would de-trigger sequester and try to do this way ahead of this potential disaster that we confront.” (U.S. Senate, Appropriations Committee, Hearing, 6/13/12)

SEN. CARL LEVIN (D-MI): ‘[I]t would be severely damaging if sequestration occurs.’ “The specter of sequestration is such that businesses, local governments who have to plan are going to assume that the current law, which requires sequestration, is going to kick in. And unless there's some clear indicator in time -- and that means, to me, in the fall -- that there will be some way to avoid sequestration, I think you're going to see some decisions made in businesses and in local governments which will weaken the economy. … it would be severely damaging if sequestration occurs.” (Sen. Levin, Bloomberg Government Defense Conference, 6/22/12)

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Tags: Obama Administration, DOD, DOD Budget Cuts, DOD Contractors, DOD employees, USAF, Army, Navy, Marine, lost jobs, government employees, Sequestration, sequestering, hiding, layoff notices, Leon Penetta To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!