Published: Wednesday, May 6, 2009
1,200 Boeing jobs lost in Washington in April
The April cuts in the state are part of an effort to deal with and decrease in air traffic and declining sales.
EVERETT -- Washington state lost more than 1,200 Boeing Co. jobs in April as the company trims its work force to cope with declining air traffic and jet sales.
As of April 30, Boeing employs 74,277 people in the state. That's down from a high of 76,869 at the end of last October, when Boeing's job levels here peaked. The aerospace company has cut 2,140 jobs in Washington state since the beginning of the year.
The company's Machinists and engineers unions are working to secure additional benefits for laid-off Boeing workers through the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance program. The unions have until May 18 to file an application for benefits that could help unemployed aerospace workers get federal assistance for training or for health care while looking for a new job.
Boeing said in January that it plans to reduce its work force by 10,000 jobs this year in response to the global recession. Since last October, Boeing has shed 5,041 positions companywide. Its total employment stands at 159,161.
At least 4,500 jobs in the company's commercial airplanes division in the Puget Sound region were slated in January for elimination. The division, which has slashed 1,687 positions since Jan. 1 and 2,094 since last October, employs 65,972 people.
Boeing likely will reduce its commercial airplanes employment even below a 63,500 job target announced in January. Last month, Boeing said it will slow production of its 777 widebody jet built here in Everett and halted plans to speed up production on its 747 and 767 jets also built in Everett. The company has announced no plan to make adjustments to production rates for its Renton-built 737 jet.
The company has reduced its employment levels through layoffs, attrition and releasing contractors. Boeing hands out 60-day notices to workers on a monthly basis. Some workers who receive pink slips find other positions within the company.
But for those who leave the company, Boeing's unions hope to ease the transition. Boeing's Machinists union has applied for and received Trade Adjustment Assistance in the past, most recently in 2004, said Connie Kelliher, Machinists spokeswoman. The unions may not get a response from the federal government for several months.
If the unions receive assistance, laid-off Boeing workers could qualify for up to two years of income assistance while enrolled in a training program. The federal assistance also could pay 65 percent of COBRA health insurance costs for workers who have been laid off by Boeing. Others affected by Boeing's layoffs could receive income to offset taking a lower-paying job.
As of April 30, Boeing employs 74,277 people in the state. That's down from a high of 76,869 at the end of last October, when Boeing's job levels here peaked. The aerospace company has cut 2,140 jobs in Washington state since the beginning of the year.
The company's Machinists and engineers unions are working to secure additional benefits for laid-off Boeing workers through the federal Trade Adjustment Assistance program. The unions have until May 18 to file an application for benefits that could help unemployed aerospace workers get federal assistance for training or for health care while looking for a new job.
Boeing said in January that it plans to reduce its work force by 10,000 jobs this year in response to the global recession. Since last October, Boeing has shed 5,041 positions companywide. Its total employment stands at 159,161.
At least 4,500 jobs in the company's commercial airplanes division in the Puget Sound region were slated in January for elimination. The division, which has slashed 1,687 positions since Jan. 1 and 2,094 since last October, employs 65,972 people.
Boeing likely will reduce its commercial airplanes employment even below a 63,500 job target announced in January. Last month, Boeing said it will slow production of its 777 widebody jet built here in Everett and halted plans to speed up production on its 747 and 767 jets also built in Everett. The company has announced no plan to make adjustments to production rates for its Renton-built 737 jet.
The company has reduced its employment levels through layoffs, attrition and releasing contractors. Boeing hands out 60-day notices to workers on a monthly basis. Some workers who receive pink slips find other positions within the company.
But for those who leave the company, Boeing's unions hope to ease the transition. Boeing's Machinists union has applied for and received Trade Adjustment Assistance in the past, most recently in 2004, said Connie Kelliher, Machinists spokeswoman. The unions may not get a response from the federal government for several months.
If the unions receive assistance, laid-off Boeing workers could qualify for up to two years of income assistance while enrolled in a training program. The federal assistance also could pay 65 percent of COBRA health insurance costs for workers who have been laid off by Boeing. Others affected by Boeing's layoffs could receive income to offset taking a lower-paying job.
Comments
(