GRAND PRAIRIE -- Union workers at the Vought Aircraft plant of Triumph Aerostructures made a plea to state and federal officials Tuesday to stop the impending sale of the plant property to a Dallas businessman, contending that a steep increase in lease and operating costs could force a shutdown or relocation.
American Brownfields Corp., owned by Dallas businessman Stuart Jones, is buying the 425-acre site of the Jefferson Street plant in Dallas from the Navy on Aug. 30.The company won a sealed-bid sale with an offer of $375,515 to the U.S. General Services Administration, which is disposing of the land on behalf of the Navy, its owner since the 1940s.In return for the cheap land price, American Brownfields-Mountain Creek Industrial Center Llc. assumes all "remaining environmental remediation costs for contaminated soil and groundwater" at the facility and portions of Clear Mountain Lake.Since the 1940s, thousands of military and commercial aircraft have been built at the plant, which was bought by Triumph Aerostructures in 2010.The company and United Aerospace Workers Local 848 said American Brownfields has proposed doubling the lease terms, which they said would endanger the work performed by 2,400 employees."Such a dramatic increase in costs would effectively price Triumph out of the facility, forcing us to significantly change our operating plans and consider other options, including relocation," a company statement said. "We will continue our efforts to discuss these issues with American Brownfields, with the goal of reaching an agreement that will avoid disruption and allow Triumph Aerostructures to continue its existing plans of operation."In a late-afternoon meeting at the union headquarters on East Main Street in Grand Prairie, a clearly rattled workforce called on political leaders, specifically Gov. Rick Perry, to stop the sale."Our jobs are at stake," said Romeo Munoz, president of UAW Local 848.No one responded to a phone message left with Jones on Tuesday.Long known as the birthplace of thousands of F4U Corsairs and A-7 Corsair IIs, the Jefferson Street plant now produces pieces of some of the military's best-known aircraft.The tail section and engine nacelles for C-17 Globemasters, wings for Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, cabin structures for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and ramps for V-22 Ospreys are all manufactured there.A second Triumph plant, on Marshall Street in Grand Prairie, would not be affected by the sale.Russell Strowd, a union worker who serves as chairman of the negotiating committee with Triumph, said he is pleased that the company publicly signaled its displeasure with the terms from American Brownfields and warned political leaders that it could force a relocation.He said it is vital that union members and area residents contact political leaders if they want the plant to remain."If we don't have a chance to keep it open, we have no chance to bargain for anything we do," he said. "This is a big deal."John Kursteiner, also on the union's negotiating committee and a 29-year veteran at the company, said Triumph's threat to relocate to another city or overseas is real."Triumph is in this to make money," he said, "and if their costs here are too high and it impacts their profit margin, they will move the plant somewhere else."Terry Brooks, a union member who serves on the Grand Prairie school board, said a relocation would dramatically affect the school district's tax base, which includes the Dallas plant."It won't just affect the taxes that Triumph pays to the school district," Brooks said. "The domino effect would be devastating because of the businesses here that rely on employees."While supportive of the federal government ridding itself of excess property, U.S. Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn have written letters to Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta in recent weeks raising concerns that the sale might disrupt "the continued production of these crucial weapon systems in the near term."American Brownfields has indicated that it will "significantly" increase the rent per year, shift responsibility to Triumph for long-term capital maintenance, and make Triumph responsible for bringing buildings up to code and for environmental remediation, according to the letters sent to Panetta.The facilities are currently exempt from local building codes because of the Navy's ownership.Chris Vaughn, 817-390-7547Twitter: @CVaughnFWHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
