Boeing's Dreamliner consolidation study leaves machinists union angry, uncertain
The leader of Boeing's machinists union has called out the jet maker after it launched a study to explore the feasibility of manufacturing 787 Dreamliner jets at one factory, instead of its current two-factory system.
Boeing makes Dreamliners at its unionized factory in Everett (the 787-8 and 787-9 models). It also makes the 787-9 and bigger 787-10 model jets at its mostly non-union aircraft assembly facility in Charleston, South Carolina.
Jon Holden, the president of the International Association of Machinists, District 751, is upset that Boeing launched the study without consulting the union's leadership. He blasted Boeing in a lengthy front page commentary essay, published in this week's Aero Mechanic union newspaper for machinists.
"In typical Boeing fashion, Boeing is talking to everyone else but the union. It is what they do in these situations. They are attempting to align the politicians and the media in order to exert maximum pressure," Holden told IAM members, adding "the charade of a 787 consolidation study may simply be masking a decision that is already made."
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Some IAM union members fear Boeing will shift all 787 work to the non-union facility in South Carolina, though a year ago, and again recently, that facility has repeatedly suffered quality problems with the aircraft produced at that factory.
https://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/news/2020/09/02/boeing-787-dreamliner-plant-consolidation-everett.html
