The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) is urging members of the Texas congressional delegation to intervene and stop planned layoffs at the Corpus Christi Army Depot (CCAD). The union has sent letters to U.S. Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, as well as Representatives Michael Cloud and Vincente Gonzalez, asking them to take immediate action.
The IAM represents 200 civilian defense contractors at CCAD who have been notified that their jobs will end on September 30, 2025. In addition, about 200 of the depot’s approximately 2,300 federal employees—also represented by the union—are among 600 federal positions scheduled for elimination. Further reductions are 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 IAM statements, CCAD injects more than $1.6 billion each year into the local economy, supporting thousands of jobs throughout southern Texas. The union warns that reducing staff at this scale could impact not only military readiness but also businesses and neighborhoods in the region.
The IAM has called on lawmakers from Texas to ask the Department of Defense and U.S. Army to reverse these downsizing plans in order to protect both national defense capabilities and economic stability in southern Texas.
The IAM Union represents about 600,000 active and retired members across various sectors including aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and others throughout North America.
