AEROSPACE FUTURES ALLIANCE SPOTLIGHT
Washington State has not held such influence since the mid-1960s and 70s when U . S . Senator Henry M . “ Scoop ” Jackson ( D-WA ) and U . S . Senator Warren G . Magnuson ( D-WA ) held committee chairmanships at the same time .
The recent promotions put our Northwest aerospace employers in a strong position to influence industry policy . One of the first fights is on a key legislative priority for the Aerospace Futures Alliance and our members .
The Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection Act of 2021 establishes a temporary relief program to provide a 50 percent cost-share to help cover costs of pay , benefits and training for employees at risk of being furloughed or who were furloughed due to the pandemic . The bill was introduced by long-time aerospace champion U . S . Representative Rick Larsen ( WA-02 ) early in the pandemic .
“ This bipartisan bill provides critical relief to help sustain the aerospace supply chain until the nation gets to the other side of the pandemic . I am committed to protecting these jobs and supporting the dedicated women and men who keep the supply chain moving during such challenging times .” said Larsen , Chair of the House Aviation Subcommittee when re-introducing the bill in 2021 .
The program directs the U . S . Department of Transportation to establish a temporary payroll support program for aviation employers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic .
Eligible participants are aviation employers that experienced a 15 percent decline in revenues or reduced workforce by at least 10 percent in 2020 due to the pandemic . Participating employers would split payroll costs with the federal government for up to six months . The program would be the first COVID-19 relief option available to all aerospace employers .
In March 2019 , I sent a letter to our congressional delegation urging them to include aerospace-specific support in a COVID-19 economic relief package . Airlines , repair stations , and defense suppliers received dedicated funding in the first CARES Act and subsequent bills . But small to mid-size manufacturers – already challenged by a year of global 737 MAX groundings – had to compete with all other industries for relief through the federal Payroll Protection Program . Directing specific relief to aviation employers facing a third year of economic hardship reduces demand on the oversubscribed PPP program while preserving jobs .
For the potential impact of the Aviation Manufacturing Jobs Protection proposal in Washington state , we can look to the results of the first PPP program . The U . S . Department of the Treasury has released PPP data through August 2020 .
APRIL | MAY 2021 ISSUE NO . 20 45