Leaving Michoud Folks in the Dark

NASA transition will cut 1,100 Michoud jobs, New Orleans City Business

Will the Ares and Orion projects replace all the jobs lost to the space shuttle phaseout? "We won't know the exact specifics to that until we get the actual contracts in place," Chapman said.

Michoud facing new, post-shuttle frontiers

Though other space manufacturing sites around the country have become accustomed to the inevitable shifts in work, this is the first time in more than three decades that there has been a change in civil space policy that affects the Michoud work force, said Sheila Cloud, the NASA administrator in charge of the transition at Michoud.

"I think they are extremely nervous," she said of the Michoud employees. "This work force is different from many, if not most, (NASA) work forces. They are totally unfamiliar with the process, and that heightens their concerns. We talked to them about what to expect, to best of our abilities."

Editor's note: Gee, Sheila, then instead of leaving them in the dark, how about clueing these people in, once and for all?