Posted on 08/11/2009 4:46:50 AM PDT by radar101
Workers paint the company's colors on a jet, right, in late April in Everett, Wash. The company delayed the first test flight of the plane once again in late June.
SEATTLE -- The 787 Dreamliner, Boeing Co.'s marquee project, is about two years behind schedule, but another big worry has emerged: Is the company expanding in the South, where unions are weaker, instead of here?
Boeing, the area's largest employer, has said in recent weeks that it would likely choose a site for a second 787 assembly line, possibly in South Carolina, by the end of the year. The current assembly line is in Everett, Wash., 30 minutes north of Seattle.
.The prospect of a second site outside the state of Washington has spread anxiety throughout the state's aerospace industry. Boeing's largest union is galvanizing against the plan.
"Obviously, it would be a blow to the region if they go elsewhere," said Connie Kelliher, spokeswoman for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers local union, which represents about 25,000 Boeing machinists in Washington.
Boeing's decadelong reliance on Seattle as its major manufacturing hub for commercial aircraft has allowed the union to retain its muscle, even as unions in sectors from steel to textiles have seen their power wane amid low-cost competition from Asia.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Seattle, how is that “hope and change” thing working for ya?
Seattle, how is that “hope and change” thing working for ya?
Liberal policies = fail!
Perhaps Boeing will come to the Savannah area. We have a lot of land ready, and lots of good ol’ boys and girls wanting to work for a fair wage.
Agreed!
A Boeing plant in the south would be great!
Southern folks are hard working honest people.
I wish I could relocate there...sigh...
One of my favorite parts of the country! I would love to see Boeing flip the bird to the unions in Seattle.
I don’t think that the unions will back off while Obama is president.
If Boeing wants to move they will have to contend with many lawsuits and incidents of union thuggery. When aircraft are involved, it may get ugly.
They oughta get that pig to fly first before they set up a second line to build it....
LQ
It won’t need to get that far. Obama will just take over the company. Think it can’t happen?
......If Boeing wants to move......
The article did not indicate moving. There will be a second plant to compete with the one in Everett as I read the piece.
Sadly, with all of Boeing’s military contracts, your idea is not far-fetched.
“move” as in move their production from point a to point b.
You are correct, nonetheless.
Looking for “right to work” and non-union states. Good for them.
They wanted to expand their Kirkland facility, but there was all kinds of ruckus raised and taxes to be imposed, so they gave up on expanding, and just moved the HQ.
They said they needed - as I recall - access to a large waterway - sea access preferable, rail access, large skilled technical work force, excellent schools, and low taxes. Texas was one place they were looking hard at during that period. Kansas was on the list as well. GA not so much.
Boeing HQ was relocated because the wife of the new Boeing CEO at the time didn't want to move to Seattle. He was commuting every week from Chicago to Seattle.
Amazing how the commies of Seattle treat Boeing year after year until they move more mfg. They already moved their HQ’s. I’ve been involved with Boeing one way or another for over 30 years .. it is still teh same old crap, not Boeing .. the location.
Boeing, the company Seattle people love to hate. Until the next beautify city/county poject comes around.
Cincy has done that to P&G for ages .. loves the handouts, hates the company
Minneapolis did the same thing to 3m
Corporations never learn.
Seattle is a place of losers for losers ... Boeing would do well to pull EVERYTHING out of there.
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