The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which represents workers at the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD), is urging members of Texas’ congressional delegation to intervene in plans that would eliminate nearly 900 jobs at the facility.
The union has addressed its concerns in letters to U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as Representatives Michael Cloud and Vincente Gonzalez. The IAM represents 200 civilian defense contractors at CCAD who have been notified their employment will end on September 30, 2025. In addition, about 200 federal employees—out of the depot’s total of approximately 2,300—are among the 600 federal positions scheduled for elimination, with further reductions possible.
“CCAD is the world’s largest rotary-wing repair facility and is considered a Department of Defense (DoD) Center of Industrial and Technical Excellence for rotary-wing aircraft,” wrote IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “The depot employs more than 2,500 highly skilled workers. The workforce and repair capacity at CCAD is vitally important to our military readiness and national security. To begin to disassemble this workforce and squander this capacity would be both imprudent and inefficient. CCAD is also a major economic driver for southern Texas. With CCAD pouring over $1.6 billion into the regional economy annually, job reductions on the scale proposed will have major implications for the surrounding communities.”
According to information from IAM, CCAD contributes more than $1.6 billion each year to the local economy through direct spending and supporting thousands of related jobs in the area.
The union warns that such large-scale layoffs could affect not only defense operations but also businesses throughout southern Texas due to reduced economic activity.
IAM leaders are calling on Texas lawmakers to press the Department of Defense and U.S. Army to reverse their decision regarding staff cuts at CCAD.
The IAM represents around 600,000 active and retired members across various sectors in North America, including aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, among others.
