SEATTLE, 19 Dec. 2013. All eyes are on Washington State this week, as government officials scramble to entice Boeing leaders to build the much-anticipated 777X commercial aircraft in the Seattle area.
Boeing officials, after having their “best and last” offer rejected by International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) District 751 in Washington State, began looking elsewhere to build the Boeing 777X. In fact, 22 states are vying for Boeing’s business. Aerospace leaders from 54 regions within those states have come forward, touting the benefits of working in the locale, such as high concentrations of engineers. Engineers and machinists in Washington State have entered into strikes against Boeing in the past.
Washington lawmakers, in an effort to win Boeing’s business related to the 777X and other aircraft, reportedly convened in a special session this week and have offered the airframe manufacturer tax incentives totaling roughly $9 billion. As of press time, Boeing leaders had not yet issued a response.
All eyes are on Boeing and Washington State, with many industry pundits shaking their heads at the offer recently rejected by IAMAW leaders. Many machinists at Boeing are likewise dismayed; read more here.
-- Washington State works to hold onto Boeing
-- SPEEA wants details on Boeing research restructuring
-- Washington leaders court Airbus in the U.S.
-- Washington Governor Jay Inslee supports union member vote on Boeing contract proposal
-- Machinists march in protest of union leadership’s rejection of Boeing offer
