CWA has long urged Members of Congress to support continued funding for the F 136 engine, produced by IUE members at General Electric/Rolls Royce for use in the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Thousands of our members depend on the jobs created by this engine program for their livelihood, and the safety of our nation depends on it as well.
Production of the alternative engine uses market forces to ensure that the JSF is the best possible quality. The production of a competitive engine for the JSF minimizes long term costs significantly, while at the same time ensuring better performance, increased reliability, and improved contractor responsiveness. And the costs of ceasing production of this second engine are dire; without an alternative to the Pratt-Whitney engine, an engine that has experienced malfunctions in multiple testing periods, the United States military could experience a single point systematic failure. General Electric/ Rolls Royce’s’ alternative engine alleviates this jarring risk and employs thousands of our union brothers and sisters.
These members earn their living producing these engines, and defending their jobs is our utmost concern in these troubling economic times. Continuation of the F 136 engine would not only help ensure the quality of America’s military aircraft but would demonstrate Congressional commitment to high-road, high-wage manufacturing in these difficult economic times. It is critical that we band together to urge Congress to stand up for the American worker and assert the importance of this project to American defense and safety.