Airplane manufacturer Bombadier announced on Tuesday that it will be laying off 1,700 employees from its Canadian and U.S. workforce across different sectors, including manufacturing, engineering, sales and others.
According to The Associated Press, 550 employees from Bombardier's Wichita facility will be let go. About 200 contractors that did not get their contracts renewed are included in the number at the Learjet facility.
Bombardier spokeswoman Annie Cossette wouldn't give specifics on whether the remaining 350 workers were contractors or full-time employees. It will also be a mix between union and non-union workers.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers spokesman Bob Wood said, "We have no indication to how long it will be. We think a lot of it is based on the market turning around. We are hopeful that these will be short-term."
The Wall Street Journal reports that employees found out about the upcoming layoffs in a company memo.
The remaining workers to be laid off will come from the Montreal area, where Bombardier is mainly located. The company employs roughly about 70,000 worldwide, with 38,000 focused on Bombardier's aerospace division.
image: Wikimedia Commons
