Aetos Systems, Inc., a government contractor, has filed a Florida WARN notice listing 126 employees potentially affected by job cuts tied to work at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The notice was filed on Oct. 16.
The notice to Florida Commerce and State Rapid Response Coordinator Yolanda Triplett states the cuts will occur between Dec. 1 and Dec. 31. and will directly affect workers of the “AEGIS Contract.” Aetos Systems is a contractor of the AEGIS project for Leidos, an American defense and IT company.
Aetos Cites NASA Staffing Changes in WARN Notice
Amanda Wheaton, Vice President of Corporate Operations at Aetos Systems, in the letter to Florida Commerce, said the cuts are a direct result of NASA transitioning back to civil servants instead of being outsourced and that there will be some positions not retained by NASA. Those employees will be let go and those job cuts would be permanent.
“Aetos anticipates that some or all of its AEGIS Contract employees working in the affected scope areas who do not accept in-sourced offers from NASA will be terminated from employment by Aetos, by December 31, 2026. Aetos understands from NASA that this is a permanent termination,” the letter states.
The notice lists 126 potentially affected employees, all of whom are represented by two unions, according to the letter.
118 workers are represented by Dayton C. Reedy, Business Manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local Union No. 2088, headquartered in Merritt Island.
8 workers are represented by Jerry Lipski, Business Manager of the Motion Picture and Video Tape Laboratory Technicians, Allied Crafts and Government Employees, Local 780, I.A.T.S.E., also based in Merritt Island.
Many different positions will be impacted. According to the official list the positions include:
- CAD Drafter, Senior
- Communication System Coordinator
- Communication System Engineers (Levels I through V)
- Electronic Technicians (including Lead and Chief designations)
- Field Systems Specialists (including Senior)
- Instrumentation Specialists
- Network Technicians
- Photo Planners
- System Planning Specialists (including Senior)
- Training Coordinators
The federal WARN Act generally requires covered employers to provide 60 days’ advance notice of qualifying plant closings and mass layoffs. Whether the requirement applies depends on the employer and the circumstances of the job cuts.
Those employees who are represented by unions are asked to contact IBEW Local 2088 and I.A.T.S.E. Local 780 leadership for a full listing of their rights or other employment opportunities within NASA as well as severance information.
Amanda Wheaton, VP of Corporate Operations, at Aetos Systems is also available for assistance with other concerns or questions.
