Holden responds to report on 777 production rate cut
SEATTLE — Machinists Union District Lodge 751 President Jon Holden issued the following statement after the Boeing Co. announced plans to cut production rates for its 777 aircraft line, which is built by union members in Everett:
“We were notified today that 777 production rates at Boeing are being dropped from seven airplanes per month to five, starting in August 2017.
“We have been concerned about this for quite some time. Over the past two years, Boeing has made it known that it needed to sell more 777s in order to close the gap before the 777X begins production.
“We have not been given any details on how many of our union’s members would be affected by this decrease in rate.
“Going forward, we will discuss with the company the potential for using voluntary layoffs, with the hope of avoiding involuntary layoffs. We also will monitor other Boeing job moves during this time. We have great concern about the number of jobs leaving our facilities in Puget Sound for new locations where the company is creating jobs, capacity and capability outside of Washington state.”
Originally formed in 1935 by hourly workers at Boeing, District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers now represents nearly 32,000 working men and woman at 53 employers across Washington and California.
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