Machinists union protests expedited Hawker sale

July 16, 2012|By Eyewitness News

(WICHITA, Kan.) — The Machinists Union filed paper in bankruptcy court Monday, opposing "an attempt by Hawker Beechcraft, Inc., to expedite the sale of its assets."

Hawker announced last week it has a tentative deal with Superior Aviation of Beijing. The deal calls for the Chinese company to buy Hawker for $1.79 billion.

The International Association of Machinists says the sale has "broad implications."

“The sale should not be rushed through without adequate scrutiny by all interested parties, including federal regulators, state officials and the Wichita community," says IAM President Tom Buffenbarger. "As the necessary review process has not yet commenced, giving Superior the exclusive right to negotiate the purchase of Hawker at this time is premature.”

In the court filing, the IAM says it's concerned that the sale could mean commercial and military-related technology could be transfered to China and that could lead to the loss of jobs.

Hawker disagrees. Communications Director Nicole Alexander told Eyewitness News that the plane maker is not rushing anything. Alexander says the company wants to ensure workers keep their jobs throughout the process.

Hawker Beechcraft issued the following statement Monday night:

"The agreement we have reached with Superior allows us to preserve jobs as the negotiation and restructuring process progresses. Furthermore, our negotiating agreement with Superior has no impact on the timing of regulatory agencies’ reviews. Any definitive agreement reached with Superior would be subject to approval by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States and other regulatory agencies, as well as a further competitive auction process overseen by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. We look forward to working toward a definitive agreement with Superior and continuing to educate all interested parties on the benefits of this agreement and the various mechanisms that are in place to ensure that it is in the best interests of our stakeholders."

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