Mechanics paid $2 / hr for Boeing, Airbus jets

[Initech]

Source: KIRO 7 Seattle

SEATTLE -- From engine overhauls, to drilling out rivets to fixing faulty flaps, Boeing and Airbus-made passenger jet repairs are increasingly being done in third-world countries. The outsourcing is definitely an economic threat to U.S. union workers, but KIRO Team 7 Investigators also found it's raising new concerns over safety.

Investigative Reporter Chris Halsne, recently visited El Salvador to find out more about a multimillion dollar jet repair shop called Aeroman.

El Salvador wants to rid itself of its guerilla war reputation and glean a new image: fruit-filled jungles, coffee plantations, Pacific beaches and the multimillion dollar business of repairing Boeing-made jetliners.

Our investigation found that Southwest Airlines, US Airways, Jet Blue and Frontier all pay Aeroman in El Salvador to fix up some of their aircraft. Delta takes part of its Boeing fleet for repairs to Guatemala, Guadalajara, and Mexico City, while taking others to repair centers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taipei.

http://www.kirotv.com/news/27915082/detail.html

Pretty frightening stuff. :scared:

[Egnever]

1. Not exactly sure whats frightening.

Is it that its 2 dollars or that its being done in other countries?

[nonperson]

2. To me the frightening part is

You get what you pay for.

[Initech]

3. This.

I think this investigation came about after they discovered that hole in the Southwest jet that was routing Vegas - Phoenix and had to be diverted to Tuscon after they discovered the hole and had to deploy the overhead masks. I cant say that I wouldn't be surprised if it happened here but the fact that it's being done in foreign countries means they could find more problems in planes that are way more serious.

[MatthewStLouis]

8. Right. Cut corners on pay. Where else are they cutting corners?

What incentive do people who probably won't ever fly in one of these planes have to work conscientiously? I have nothing against poor people in other countries having nice jobs, but the reason I like to fly on a U.S. carrier over Banana Air is because I prefer our safety record to theirs.

[Egnever]

10. That assumes they are cutting corners on pay

Perhaps in the countries this is being done $2 per hour is good pay.

I dont know, just saying.

[MindPilot]

14. Never fly on it, hell, if it crashed they'd never know.

$2 might be good wages, but who's signing off that a repair was done right...or at all?

[Rage for Order]

4. Brown foreigners are too stupid to work on airplanes

:sarcasm:

[RB TexLa]

5. You'd be suprised how many here actually feel foreigners are in no way worthy of employment

that's for Americans.

[Initech]

6. I don't think that.

What I hate are workers being paid shit wages like $2 / hr - you're just asking for problems. And that companies exploit this and send jobs that should be paying well to places that treat their employees like dirt. Look at Foxconn - perfect example of what I'm talking about.

[Egnever]

12. Are you sure $2/hour is a shit wage in these countries?

[Initech]

13. $2/hr is a shit wage no matter what country you live in.

[Egnever]

20. OK and thats where we are at odds.

From the article.

o what do jet mechanics make in El Salvador? They start at about $2 an hour.

Interpreter for Employee #1: “The helper gets anywhere from $315 and $320 a month - the helper.

Thats the starting wage. And from wikipedia,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_minimum_wages_by_country

El Salvador US$192.10 a month for retail employees; US$187.73 for industrial laborers; US$166.82 for apparel assembly workers; US$89.86 for agriculture industry workers<9[br />
So this starting wage is almost double the national average, pretty good if you ask me.

and this is San Salvador where the facility is located.




A fairly modern city and not so different than many small american cities. These workers live well in this city I would think. Maybe not but in the article you posted it says.

Mechanics with a decade of experience earn about $5 an hour. Around San Salvador, that’s considered a high-paying job.

[Initech]

22. Interesting, I didn't know that.

I was always under the impression that $2 an hour was $2 an hour no matter where you go, guess I was wrong.

[Egnever]

23. Makes a big difference

$2 an hour is different depending on the country you live in, thats why many american retire in foreign countries. Here they might live in an average or even below average house/neighborhood where in another country they can stretch their dollars much farther and live in a nice place in an upscale neighborhood.

Thanks for the OP though you made me learn more about El Salvador :)

[Egnever]

11. Thats how I read this as well.

[Initech]

16. I read this as

"Stupid fucking CEOs exploit the myth of cheap labor to avoid mandatory regulations in their never ending lust for profit."

[Marie Marie]

17. Bingo. Now that is the proper summation of this story.

Regardless of the "who, what or where" of this labor, the gist is profits over safety.

[Initech]

18. Yeah, no need to bring any other element into it.

I will argue tooth and nail that the idea of cheap labor is a myth - it's more of this stupid Ayn Randian bullshit that the uber-elite use to prevent workers from making real, living wages. It doesn't matter what country we live in, we're all getting fucked over by Wall St.

[Egnever]

19. I think thats what the article is trying to make you think.

and it may even be the case. But the article reads like a hate the brown people screed to me. Not saying you feel that way , just the article.

[cpamomfromtexas]

7. What should worry you most is the FAA doesn't inspect these facilities

Or the work done at these facilities. Actually they don't do much at all inspection wise unless their feet are to the fire, they'd rather put their feet up on their desks so as not to disrupt the businesses they are supposed to regulate.

[MatthewStLouis]

9. Good point.

[MindPilot]

15. Another big dirty secret is crash parts.

Pieces recovered from crashes make their way into a gray market and the minimal oversight at the off-shored facilities opens up a market for those parts.

[Bombero1956]

21. Frontline recently did a segment on this issue

The segment was called Flying Cheaper. What they exposed made me afraid to ever get on a plane again.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/flying-cheaper/