Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A growing issue in Wichita is the outsourcing of aviation work.

As a global company with locations in five countries, Spirit says it must get outside help from other companies, even if it means outsourcing work that was once performed in Wichita.

SPEEA says the outsourcing is unnecessary.

Spirit spokesman Ken Evans says, "As our global growth continues - seven locations in five countries - we have to determine which functions should be grown in-house and which are sourced to vendors with specialized expertise. This is an ongoing effort."

The company is outsourcing some IT work to companies like IBM, which eliminated 37 employees and contract employees. All 37 employees were offered different positions within the company, though not all were on the same pay-level.

SPEEA's Midwest Director Bob Brewer says, "When you take a college educated, 25-year IT employee and offer them a job at half their salary bucking rivets, to me, that's not finding them a job."

Some of the IT work will now be done in places like India, China and South America. SPEEA says Spirit will start outsourcing more of the IT work next year and says they do not believe the company will be able to find internal jobs for those whose positions will be outsourced during the next round in
2010.

Spirit is one of the only major aviation companies in Wichita that has avoided massive layoffs.