Yet do not think for a moment that Boeing is not angling for a better deal out of either the States of Washington or South Carolina.
As they should!
That could be. But a non sequitur. Without freedom, the Rats have all the leverage. Your only bargaining tool is a bribe.
I don't think so, I think the decision reflects:
---The economic benefit of consolidating 787 assembly. Since a lot of the components are sourced out of SC then flown to Everett, Everett is a higher cost facility.
---This is a continuation of a trend predicted by Boeing since the 1990s, moving out of the Puget Sound area because of the business climate. Moving the HQ to Chicago was a first step.
---Washington State has a lot of business challenges such as tax structure and transportation issues. There's no indication this will improve anytime soon.
---Boeing has an increasingly tense relationship with both the Machinists and SPEEA. SC is a non union state and the Boeing facility there is non union.
It was a question of when, not if. In the future, look for Washington production to be consolidated in Everett and Renton closed. Any 757 replacement would be placed in Everett, if locally.
Figure that with every new program (MMA/737 replacement) assembly outside Puget Sound area is a viable option.