Save Avondale

The AFL-CIO blog has a post about efforts to save Avondale despite Northrop-Grumman's decision to close the facility.

Job losses and economic disaster

AFL-CIO blog correctly characterizes the Avondale layoffs, which are underway, as a huge economic disaster for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. As our marshes erode so do manufacturing jobs. While it may be hyperbole to compare the effects of the Avondale closure to the BP oil spill, long term it may not be.

Avondale closing

Labor joins effort to save Avondale jobs.

Avondale to close in 2013

Northrop-Grumman announced Tuesday its intent to close New Orleans area Avondale shipyards and consolidate the 5000 jobs at its larger shipyard at Pascagoula, Mississippi. Avondale lost a union election in the early 1990's, ultimately the union was certified and the shipyard was acquired by Northrop-Grumman. At the time I remember thinking how this ultimately made Avondale much more vulnerable to closure. Now, by sometime in 2013 Avondale is scheduled to be gone. Non-union status was a valuable protector for this shipyard, but now its just an expendable unionized facility.