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Army civilian workers at Fort Shafter, Schofield Barracks and the Pohakuloa Training Area who will lose their jobs to a Florida contractor are questioning the way the contract was handled.

Wayne Fukumoto, one of the 210 affected employees, said "numbers and cost figures were manipulated, allowing our original bid to become inflated," allowing BAE Systems of Fort Walton Beach, Fla., to win the job.

The civilian workers have turned to Hawaii's congressional delegation for help before the contract takes effect in January.

Mike Slackman, spokesman for Rep. Neil Abercrombie, said the Democratic lawmaker supports Fukumoto's efforts because "he wants to preserve local jobs in Hawaii."

Slackman said that besides preserving local jobs, Abercrombie is concerned about the fairness of the process to island workers and the possibility that they could lose accrued benefits such as sick leave.

On Oct. 25, Col. William Puttmann, Army garrison commander, said BAE submitted a winning bid of $59 million, beating the offer submitted by Fukumoto and other civilian workers. He said the change would affect 251 civilian workers the Army hoped to place in other jobs.

A federal law requires agencies, including the Army, to conduct a cost-benefit study before jobs can be privatized. The study was initiated four years ago to determine whether the transportation, supply and maintenance operations should be contracted out or remain as a government-operated function using the current labor force.

BAE's bid was $1.4 million less than that submitted by Fukumoto's group.

Fukumoto said he and other affected transportation, supply and maintenance workers didn't realize their sealed bid was changed after it was submitted on Aug. 8.

The changes made to their contract inflated the bid by $2.9 million, Fukumoto said.

The changes were requested by Deputy 25th Division commander Brig. Gen. Karl Eikenberry, representing the Army's Source Selection Authority.

However, an Army auditor on Oct. 19 said the need for increased staffing was unwarranted.

Fukumoto said the money was added to pay for 15 additional personnel over the five-year life of the contract.

But Ron Joy, Army spokesman, said "there was no tampering."

He said the Source Selection Authority has "an obligation to review the in-house bid to ensure a "level playing field" between the contractor and the in-house organization with respect to the level and quality of performance."

He said that after the comparison was made, the authority "properly directed changes," which increased the amount of Fukumoto's bid.

The civilian workers who are trying to keep their jobs have "an average of 20 years experience," said Fukumoto, who has been with the Army for the past five years after transferring from the Air Force.

"We have reduced the workforce by more than 50 percent in a four-year period by restructuring, consolidation, working better and smarter and being more cost-efficient without sacrificing quality, service, workmanship and professionalism."

The International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers -- which represents some of the displaced workers -- has said it would appeal the award.