. . . you know, because there's a glut of ammo and everybody's flush. Feds are all stocked up, the people are all good to go, no reason demand for the supply, so layoffs are just a logical consequence of supply and demand. There is no ammo anywhere and the feds are putting out RFIs for billions of rounds . . . and this is the solution they come up with?? That's one plant that could easily turn a profit if they wanted. Lake City employees are offered voluntary layoffs - KansasCity.com Lake City employees are offered voluntary layoffs March 6 By MARK DAVIS The Kansas City Star Hourly workers at the federally owned Lake City Army Ammunition Plant in Independence have been given voluntary layoff offers as part of a plan to reduce the workforce of 2,600. File photo by John Sleezer The Lake City Army Ammunition Plant produces ammunition in a variety of calibers. The plant is in Independence. The cutbacks result mainly from modernization efforts during the last eight years, according to Bryan Kidder, a spokesman for Alliant Techsystems, which operates the facility for the U.S. Army. Previously, the Army had said the plant’s 30 government employees could see cutbacks as part of the federal cuts known as sequestration. Kidder said the layoff plans are not related to sequestration. Kidder said that the number of expected job cuts and their timing is unknown but that an involuntary layoff probably will follow the voluntary departures. He said such cutbacks typically involve a separation package for employees based on the number of years they have worked. Virginia-based Alliant, which operates the plant through ATK Small Caliber Systems, has a four-year contract through September and a subsequent contract for the next seven to 10 years. It has operated Lake City since April 2000. ATK and the Army have invested $400 million to increase the plant’s efficiency in producing ammunition of various calibers, Kidder said. New technology targets the long practice of operating machines across two floors of the plant. Teams of employees will oversee equipment and monitor instruments and gauges rather than have a separate team for each production line, Kidder said. He also attributed the cutbacks to “recent drawdowns in military actions.”
Amazing. Something that .goob could actually make a profit at and they are downsizing it. Just goes to show you that they want to keep their supplies stock and cut ours off.
I don't read it as such. What I am getting is that the facility has already been upgraded to maximize production with machinery, and that the employees already there are actually slowing the process, hence the layoffs. Currently, Lake City uses teams of human workers to do the work of the machinery they have ready to do the job, and it's a slower process. In order to speed up production, the plant is moving to a streamlined, automated process with only a few workers present to monitor the machines and push buttons. The end result: more ammunition, just fewer employees.
I read this as it is a government owned (federally) plant. If that is the case, what do they care about making a profit- suprised they are not hiring more people to slow down the production some more.
OK. So, if everything is running by machine, why is there a need for contractors to run things if it is all automated? Contractors cost 2-3x what a fed costs--overhead, fringe, etc. Whatever is going on, there's something that smells fishy given the current ammo situation, sequestration, and the two groups giving different stories of what is going on.
Police Departments Face Ammunition Shortages - Jan Morgan Media :: Jan Morgan Media What would be great to see would be a few states that commissioned their OWN armories/ammo plants to fulfill their needs. These plants would do it all: from raw materials all the way to the finished product. Of course, this is a pie-in-the-sky dream, but, IF the DHS is trying to dry up the ammo supplies, then there would be a few states (e.g., MT) who might just supply their militia with ammo. States need to start controlling their own destiny again instead of being whores to the fed pimp.
From the ACLJ: This week – just days after President Obama spoke to Palestinians while standing under the banner of Yasser Arafat, one of the world's most infamous terrorists – our government made a startling announcement. It's giving $500 million to the terrorist-led Palestinian Authority. After giving $250 million to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood government. Since the budget sequester, when Americans were asked to make sacrifices to reduce our deficit, the Obama Administration has announced $750 million in new aid to radical, jihadist governments overseas. This is intolerable.
I hate to say it, but it's the GOP which favors contracting jobs that have been previously done by federal civil service and/or military members. All in the name of "efficiency", of course! Just look at the boondoggles caused (until recently) by the beloved "A-76 outsourcing study" system. On paper, the initial contract looks good, and seems to save the taxpayers some money. However, these big corporations know 2 important things: 1. The government doesn't know how to write a decent contract 2. Once they have their foot in the door, it's nearly unheard of for a contractor to lose out, and be replaced by civil service or military, ever again! It usually only takes a year or two, before the government realizes how much they've left out of the initial contract, and has to go back to the contracting table, hat in hand, asking for a "mod" to the contract. These companies know it, purposely UNDERBID the contracts, because they know that once the "mod" comes through, they'll make it up (and more) in a renegotiated contract. Of course, it doesn't much matter, GOP or Democrat, who's in office, because these companies give freely to whoever's in office, in order to keep these contracts coming. Once again, the American taxpayer is outbid by the big corporations and their deep pockets!
