Published: Sunday, March 8, 2009
BOEING PRODUCTION
State must stay competitive
When the Boeing Co. moved its headquarters from Seattle to Chicago in 2000, it took with it a peace of mind this region had long enjoyed: that Boeing's commercial jetliners would always be built here, providing thousands of jobs and a strong foundation to the economy.
Such comfort seems so distant these days. The cold realities of the global economy now pit our region against the rest of the nation -- indeed, the rest of the world -- for the benefits that come from hosting production of the world's best commercial airplanes. The competition is on again, this time for a possible second production line of the 787. All stakeholders -- government, labor and business -- need to approach it earnestly and urgently.
It took a huge legislative effort in 2003 to craft a $3.2 billion aerospace incentive package that convinced Boeing to build the 787's initial line in Everett. The company's decision to put 787 siting essentially up for bid got the region's attention, forcing some serious introspection about our economic future.
No less is at stake this time around. The site of a second 787 line could well become the home of the eventual successor to the top-selling 737. If Boeing decides it would be more cost-effective for that site to be somewhere other than Puget Sound, it could mark the beginning of the end of our region's robust aerospace industry.
Some analysts have surmised that such a decision has already been made, but such thinking appears to be premature. Boeing's Board of Directors is scheduled to meet in April, and a new 787 line is expected to be on the agenda. It's unclear whether a decision on whether to start a second line, or where, will be made then.
What is clear is that our state has no time to waste. An effort by Gov. Chris Gregoire, working with public- and private-sector leaders in Puget Sound, is under way to determine how our state stacks up against others in terms of competitiveness. The Snohomish County Economic Development Council will analyze a number of competltive factors, including unemployment insurance and workers compensation costs, partly to see what the Legislature can do this year to improve Washington's position.
Labor issues are also key. Now is not the time for the Legislature to be entertaining dramatic changes in labor law, particularly the "Worker Privacy Act" now being considered. Such a law, which exists in no other state, would prohibit employers from requiring workers to attend certain meetings, including ones dealing with labor relations. It addresses a problem that we don't think exists, and sends exactly the wrong signal to employers in aerospace and other industries.
Aerospace, led by Boeing, remains the heart of our economy. Simply put, we need it. State efforts should reflect that reality.
Such comfort seems so distant these days. The cold realities of the global economy now pit our region against the rest of the nation -- indeed, the rest of the world -- for the benefits that come from hosting production of the world's best commercial airplanes. The competition is on again, this time for a possible second production line of the 787. All stakeholders -- government, labor and business -- need to approach it earnestly and urgently.
It took a huge legislative effort in 2003 to craft a $3.2 billion aerospace incentive package that convinced Boeing to build the 787's initial line in Everett. The company's decision to put 787 siting essentially up for bid got the region's attention, forcing some serious introspection about our economic future.
No less is at stake this time around. The site of a second 787 line could well become the home of the eventual successor to the top-selling 737. If Boeing decides it would be more cost-effective for that site to be somewhere other than Puget Sound, it could mark the beginning of the end of our region's robust aerospace industry.
Some analysts have surmised that such a decision has already been made, but such thinking appears to be premature. Boeing's Board of Directors is scheduled to meet in April, and a new 787 line is expected to be on the agenda. It's unclear whether a decision on whether to start a second line, or where, will be made then.
What is clear is that our state has no time to waste. An effort by Gov. Chris Gregoire, working with public- and private-sector leaders in Puget Sound, is under way to determine how our state stacks up against others in terms of competitiveness. The Snohomish County Economic Development Council will analyze a number of competltive factors, including unemployment insurance and workers compensation costs, partly to see what the Legislature can do this year to improve Washington's position.
Labor issues are also key. Now is not the time for the Legislature to be entertaining dramatic changes in labor law, particularly the "Worker Privacy Act" now being considered. Such a law, which exists in no other state, would prohibit employers from requiring workers to attend certain meetings, including ones dealing with labor relations. It addresses a problem that we don't think exists, and sends exactly the wrong signal to employers in aerospace and other industries.
Aerospace, led by Boeing, remains the heart of our economy. Simply put, we need it. State efforts should reflect that reality.
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