The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) is urging members of the Texas congressional delegation to intervene in plans for large-scale layoffs at the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD). The union has called on U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as Representatives Michael Cloud and Vincente Gonzalez, to take action to prevent nearly 900 job cuts scheduled for September 30, 2025.
The IAM represents about 200 civilian defense contractors at CCAD who have received notices that their employment will end by the end of September. In addition, approximately 200 out of 2,300 federal employees at the depot—also represented by the IAM—are among those slated for elimination as part of a plan to cut around 600 federal positions.
“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.”
The depot’s economic impact extends beyond its direct workforce, contributing more than $1.6 billion each year to the local economy and supporting thousands of jobs in southern Texas. The IAM cautions that such significant layoffs could negatively affect not only military readiness but also local businesses and neighborhoods.
The union is calling on lawmakers from Texas to press the Department of Defense and U.S. Army to reconsider their downsizing plans in order to protect both national defense capabilities and local economic stability.
The IAM Union describes itself as one of North America’s largest industrial trade unions, representing about 600,000 active and retired members across several industries in both the United States and Canada.
