Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — The end of the space shuttle program is resulting the end of employment for some Utah workers.
Alliant Techsystems, the Minnesota-based defense contractor, announced Tuesday that it will cut 134 positions from its aerospace division in Utah effective immediately.
This round of layoffs was smaller than recent employee purges, but it all adds up to a huge decline for one of Utah's biggest and best-known companies.
ATK Layoffs
| Date | Number |
|---|---|
| April 2009 | 312 |
| October 2009 | 545 |
| January 2010 | 419 |
| May 2010 | 240 |
| October 2010 | 420 |
| Today | 134 |
| <b>TOTAL</b> | <b>2070</b> |
At the height of the space shuttle program in the 1990s, 9,000 people worked for ATK in Utah. The company cut more than 800 jobs when the shuttle program started winding down in 2009. Last year, the layoffs continued with almost 1,100 more jobs slashed. Add today's cuts and you have a total of 2,070 jobs lost in just two years.
"It's a hard day for all of us at ATK. It's hard to see our friends leave," said Trina Patterson, media relations director for ATK Aerospace Systems. "The mood is very somber, but we're optimistic that we'll have programs as we move forward. And the dedication of this work force is incredible."
Following the last round of cutbacks in October 2010, ATK was left with approximately 3,600 employees in Utah working at its facilities in Clearfield, Promontory and Magna.
The number of remaining Utah employees for aerospace group is approximately 2,300, according to Patterson.
"Since 2009, we have reduced our headcount by just over 2,100 and that includes our facilities outside of Utah," she said. "(The current layoffs are) due to the near completion of the shuttle program, changes in technical direction and funding on the ARES program, and the shift in our critical skill mix," Patterson explained.
The layoffs signal that ATK has arrived at an important crossroads, a time of great uncertainty about the future of the space program.
For a third of a century, the Space Shuttle has been keeping ATK and its predecessor Thiokol aloft. Since 1981, shuttles have blasted into orbit on Utah-made booster rockets.
Federal funding cuts for the space program have had a major impact on ATK operations nationwide, resulting in significant layoffs in recent years.
Now, there are only two launches left for NASA by ATK. In three months the shuttle will become a museum piece, leaving ATK struggling to find a new direction.
Patterson said coping with the reality of such upheaval has been especially tough for the company and its employees.
"We have an incredible workforce (and) a lot who have worked here for the entire careers and work on the shuttle program their entire lives," she said. "This is always extremely difficult to do."
As with previous cutbacks, affected employees will receive a severance package based on years of service and job-placement assistance that includes providing a career-placement workshop with advice from a professional career counselor.
------
Story written with contributions from Jasen Lee and John Hollenhorst.
