Boeing may move 777X out of Washington state

Yahoo News ^ | 14 Nov 2013 | MIKE BAKER

[mandaladon]

SEATTLE (AP) — Boeing's history in the Pacific Northwest dates back more than a century, when William Boeing purchased a Seattle shipyard that would become his first airplane factory. In recent years, however, those ties have been fraying, first with the company shifting its headquarters to Chicago, then with the development of a new production line in South Carolina. Now, the relationship between Boeing and Washington state is near the point of unraveling after a fiery debate among machinists this week led the workers to reject a long-term contract.

On Thursday, Boeing made good on its threats and said it is looking elsewhere to develop its popular new 777X airplane — and the company may take thousands of jobs along with it.

Boeing Co. spokesman Doug Alder declined to specify where the company is now looking, saying there is no short list and that there are many places both within Boeing's current operations and outside that are being explored.

"Everything is back on the table," he said.

Boeing has helped anchor western Washington state's economy for decades, but that relationship began to fray about 15 years ago. In 2001, the company moved its headquarters from Seattle to Chicago.

[null and void]

Hmmmmmm, another labor pool to poach...

[American Constitutionalist]

" Unions and liberals doing what they do best. "

Jobageddon, destruction of jobs and the economy.

[cherokee1]

Poaching? Not as much as you might at first guess-—nobody else really wants that old union slag. Why would I bring people into my company who are going to mostly whine about the old days when they had a union job? I’ve picked up hitchikers before who spent the whole trip explaining how great things were when they could get the bucks together to pay their union dues. I got zero sympathy for a bunch of people who think their asses are so golden they’d vote their own job right out of town.

[dirtymac]

I was there at the time that it happened. Boeing was part of the landscape of WA and the Democrats (Governor Locke) and the unions knew they could always turn on the tap and get the honey out of Boeing. It took a lot of abuse over a long time before this company moved it's headquarters to Chicago. Throw in the debacle with the South Carolina Plant with the dept of Labor using it's power strictly for the benefit of the unions. You knew it was a matter time when these union idiots would kill off any hope of retaining Boeing in WA state.

15 years ago +/- I watched a union member in Spokane bemoaning the fact that Alcoa was closing it's Spokane plant. He was telling the reported he had worked there for 18 years and the had gone on strike 3 times and now the plant was leaving. He would not understand the idiocy of his comments.

These Machinist have really solidified their pension and health care clear to the point they and future generations is WA will have nothing!

Oh wait, they will have Obama to take care of them.

[American Constitutionalist]

Imagion how much less cost it would be for a airline to buy a Boeing aircraft if Boeing didn't have to pay for those Union goodies.
Imagaion how much more aircraft they could produce and sell if the costs were lower.
Imagion how much it would help the over all economy.... imagion if you try.

[American Constitutionalist]

South Carolina has more room Boeing.

[Aussiebabe]

Actually, it was stupid to move to Chicago, one of the worst taxed states and cities in the USA. They were considering Dallas,but I have a brother-in-law who worked at Boeing, and he said the CEO’s wife was into Arts and insisted they go to Chicago instead of Dallas. (don’t know how much of that is true). Boeing’s excuse was they wanted to be in the middle of the country between the East and West Coasts.

[Steely Tom]

15 years ago +/- I watched a union member in Spokane bemoaning the fact that Alcoa was closing it's Spokane plant. He was telling the reported he had worked there for 18 years and the had gone on strike 3 times and now the plant was leaving. He would not understand the idiocy of his comments.

It almost sounds like he thought his time on the picket line was some kind of investment in his future job security.

Come to think of it, he may actually have been told that by his union leadership, and been stupid enough to believe it.

[Cen-Tejas]

Roflmao!..............you beat me to it!

[Conspiracy Guy]

No poaching. The Mercedes plant, Honda plant, Hyundai plant, and the BAE plant employees make a GOOD living and have GOOD benefits. They produce a GOOD product and the lines are expanding.

[null and void]

As in Boeing poaching Airbus, should Boeing move to Mobile, Alabama.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Alabama has more room. But Alabama won’t get the Boeing plant. I hope its North Carolina.

[stubernx98]

A WA Republican (one of the few) just said he wanted to introduce a right to work law. Governor (tax break for corp coronisim) Insley, said “no way”

[Conspiracy Guy]

ooooopps I meant South Carolina.

[American Constitutionalist]

Hope this time around Boeing can justify it by saying that they tried to meet all their demands but where left with no choice but to move.
It's their new re-modernization program... i.e. building new plants, that is ? in new places.

[American Constitutionalist]

Hope Boeing also takes advantage of the new fracking oil boom and moves to a plave where producting their product and the energy that is takes to produce things is cheaper.
I guess they found out that all their investment in " GREEN ECONOMY " has not panned out.
Did the state of WA force them to go Green ?

[American Constitutionalist]

BUILD NEW PLANTS IN NEW PLACES BOEING !

It will help you in the long run, no union labor costs and save costs in new production plant techknowlegy.

[American Constitutionalist]

Yes Sir’reee , they already have a base there now with their 787 plant.

[Conspiracy Guy]

They need to do it. Tell the 0bama supporting union to kiss off. I do feel for those union members victimized by the union. They need to go to their union with torches and pitchforks and give them the what for.