At White House Request, Lockheed Martin Drops Plan to Issue Layoff Notices

ABCNews.com ^ | October 2, 2012 | Mary Bruce and Jake Tapper

[castowell]

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin heeded a request from the White House today — one with political overtones — and announced it will not issue layoff notices to thousands of employees just days before the November presidential election.

Lockheed, one of the biggest employers in the key battleground state of Virginia, previously warned it would have to issue notices to employees, required by law, due to looming defense cuts set to begin to take effect after Jan. 2 because of the failure of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction — the so-called Super-committee, which was created to find a way to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal deficit over the next decade.

[castowell]

Unreal.

[kevslisababy]

so they will still be laid off, just not notified in accordance with the law?

[Army Air Corps]

So, people have to wait until after the election to learn who gets the chop. Yeah, that is going to make family budgets fun...

[rhubarbk]

Turn out the lights, the party is over.

[dead]

Is this finally the outrage that is TOO blatant for the likes of the NYTimes, ABC, MSNBC, to ignore?

He's breaking the law to influence the election and he's not even trying to hide it.

Without a vigilant press, we are doomed to armed revolution.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

So much for Obama’s management of news.

[Qwackertoo]

This is nuts. So what happens IF he wins and 20,000+ workers are laid off? Crickets?

I worked at GD when A12 was canceled and between GD and McAir over 10K were laid off in ONE DAY.

This is unfreakingbelievable.

[Gene Eric]

>> Without a vigilant press, we are doomed to armed revolution.

Did you see Pat Caddell’s rant against the Leftwing propaganda machine? It was good.

[Mr. Silverback]

Just when I thought I couldn’t be more of a Boeing fan...

The upside is that every worker at L-M knows that Obama is not only the reason this is being hidden, but is the reason that the cuts are happening in the first place. They also know that Obama tried real, real hard to keep people just like them from having good jobs in SC by siccing his labor board on Boeing. And, our guys will be able to pound away at this from the stump just as much as they could pound away at actual losses.

[SECURE AMERICA]

So what are we saying here?
That the workers at Lockheed Martin are stupid? That they do not read news papers? Watch TV news?
Regardless of a memo going out in November wouldn’t you think that most of the workers there have some knowledge of this possibility?

[Menehune56]

Lockheed Martin got the message there was an existential threat if they went ahead with the notices and Obama was re-elected.

[stuartcr]

I’m sure the majority already know if they’re getting laid off.

[null and void]

“drops plan” Lib speak for “breaks the law requiring”

[manovark]

Defense contractor Lockheed Martin heeded a request from the White House today — one with political overtones — and announced it will not issue layoff notices to thousands of employees just days before the November presidential election.

How sweet it would be if Mitt Romney would bring this up at the first debate and kindly inform the public that their job literally is at stake in this election.

[George from New England]

Maybe the families’ uncertainty will backfire on Obama.

[DCBryan1]

Yep. Make your list up now. Think local. Act local.

[stuartcr]

Do you think Romney will stop those cuts in Jan?

[null and void]

so they will still be laid off, just not notified in accordance with the law?

Yes.

On the bright side, the obama administration will pay any fees, penalties and legal expenses Lockheed-Martin would be subject to as a result of violating the WARN Act.

On the brighter side, your tax dollars will cover it.

On the brightest side, L-M just landed a fat radar maintenance contract in North Carolina.

[catnipman]

Fascism is as fascism does.

[null and void]

Is this finally the outrage that is TOO blatant for the likes of the NYTimes, ABC, MSNBC, to ignore?

You made a funny!

Not bad, not bad at all!

[null and void]

So what happens IF he wins and 20,000+ workers are laid off? Crickets?

Bush will be blamed.

[null and void]

our guys will be able to pound away at this from the stump just as much as they could pound away at actual losses.

Aye, they 'ave the ABILITY, do they 'ave the WILL?

[cableguymn]

It’s a win win for Zero. If he wins the lame stream media will ignore it.

If Zero looses the MSM will hang the lay offs around Romney’s neck “See! We told you things would be worse under Romney!”

Romney should get ahead of this right now.

“remember, any special deals Obama might offer you that are illegal won’t be honored if I win”

[null and void]

Yes, but Lockheed has a LEGAL REQUIREMENT to notify them.

Do you believe rumor is an acceptable substitute for hard data?

[null and void]

I’m sure the majority already know if they’re getting laid off.

Ahhhh, the apologists are out in force today...

[null and void]

Maybe the families’ uncertainty will backfire on Obama.

Yup. With notification 20,000 L-M employees would know they were going to be let go if Obama and Sequestration prevail.

Without WARN notification EVERY SINGLE L-M employee would worry if they are one of the 20,000.

[plain talk]

Every corrupt government SOB involved in this incident should be fired. Actually I am not sure how this can be legal. A bribe is implicit here although I am not sure how one would prove that legally.

[Mr. K]

they should issue a notice that they will NOT be able to issue layoff notices, by request of Obama

that should go over just as good

[stuartcr]

No, I worked for LM and other def contractors for a number of years, that’s what is done. People know before it’s official.

[CPT Clay]

But aren’t they required by law to give so much notice?

[ClearCase_guy]

People suspect. No one knows until they are notified.

In many jobs, people get nervous. Folks in the auto industry were nervous in 2009. But most people are optimists -- they don't ramp up the job search until they know that they are on the list of people that might go.

These people suspect -- they do not know.

And now they won't. Until it happens.

[CPT Clay]

Did you see Pat Caddell’s rant against the Leftwing propaganda machine?

Could you post a link?

[I want the USA back]

That man should be impeached for using the power of government to change the outcome of the election.

[stuartcr]

right

[null and void]

No, I worked for LM and other def contractors for a number of years, that’s what is done. People know before it’s official.

So, you are in FULL support of Obama using your tax dollars to indemnify L-M and conspire with them to BREAK THE LAW.

Given your unfailing history of supporting Obama, I'm not in the slightest bit surprised.

[ColdOne]

How do they continue to do these things is so demoralizing.

[null and void]

If thinking the President would conspire with a company to break the law, and use our tax dollars to cover all the resulting legal expenses and penalties that it might "suffer" isn't something that only a real nut-job would contemplate, I don't know what is.

Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping!

To get onto The Nut-job Conspiracy Theory Ping List you must threaten to report me to the Mods if I don’t add you to the list...

[Obama_Is_Sabotaging_America]

IMPEACH BARACK OBRIBERY!

[DallasDeb]

Those Lockheed workers know what’s in the wind if Nobama is re-elected. Either no budget or cut budget—same difference. They will not vote for Nobama. Lockheed is being extorted somehow.

[DallasDeb]

Those Lockheed workers know what’s in the wind if Nobama is re-elected. Either no budget or cut budget—same difference. They will not vote for Nobama. Lockheed is being extorted somehow.

[trisham]

"We have come too far to abandon the change we fought for these past few years.
We have to move forward to the future we imagined in 2008 where everyone gets a fair shot, and everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.
That’s the choice in this election and that’s why I’m running for a second term as President of the United States.”

~Barack Obama

Please support Free Republic
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[timestax]

[DallasDeb]

Who’s going to prosecute the companies if they don’t ever give layoff notices? No one. This is the lawless administration. It will NOT follow any law that it doesn’t find necessary to achieve its goals.

[Nifster]

And yet that is exactly what his administration has done......Lordy we are in such deep trouble

[kevao]

Without a vigilant press, we are doomed to armed revolution.

Imagine a Republican president trying to get away with this!

[stuartcr]

right

[stuartcr]

???

[mom.mom]

This is clearly an impeachable offense, as are numerous other infractions. So what do we do about it? Continue to allow him to operate above the law?

I am tired of feeling outraged everyday. I want action.

[bgill]

So, they’re still in the headchopping line. If anything, that should make them more determined to vote against hussein.

[Gilbo_3]

cmon now, we havent had any deaths yet, therefore comparing this to chicago politics is apples/oranges...

LM should sent out notices to its employees, stating that it was asked to not send out *layoff* notices, and that their jobs are secure up until the point that they are suddenly not secure...

of course the alphabet agency anal crawl would be huge after that...

not to worry though, RR will undo everything on day one, or 1001, or...???