Boeing jobs ramping up as orders take off

  • By Michelle Dunlop Herald Writer
  • Friday, October 12, 2007 7:20pm
  • Business

EVERETT — She thought she would wind up in an office job, perhaps answering phones or assisting an executive.

“I didn’t think I would become an electrician on the 767,” said Catherine Dwight, who began working for the Boeing Co. this summer.

But the 42-year-old mother of two isn’t complaining about her role in Boeing’s Everett factory. With experience in education as well as retail and restaurant management, Dwight wanted something different.

“I wanted a new challenge. I wanted to do something that would be rewarding,” Dwight said recently, while taking a break at the coffee shop inside Boeing’s factory.

Dwight is one of thousands of employees Boeing has added not only to its Everett factory but also to its plants throughout the Puget Sound region. As Boeing ramps up, it has solidified a hiring process aimed at making sure sufficiently trained staff step into place just in time.

The company has added more than 11,600 Machinists Union members in the past 31/2 years. Boeing’s employment in Washington state quickly is approaching 73,000. That’s up about 20,000 workers from its June 2004 low of 52,763.

Even so, Boeing officials readily admit the company has more difficulty attracting new workers than it did years ago. The reasons? For starters, there are a lot of options for workers in the Puget Sound region.

Also, the starting pay for Machinists isn’t fantastic. Under its agreement with the Machinists, Boeing can hire an average production worker at a minimum of $12.72 an hour.

Prospective production workers undergo a minimum of two weeks of unpaid training before they’re even offered a job. And they could get stuck on the graveyard shift.

These drawbacks don’t seem to deter employees such as Dwight from launching careers with Boeing.

Dwight continued work as a para-educator while completing an unpaid assessment in Renton. During her 5 p.m.-to-midnight trial period, Dwight read general blueprints and learned to route wiring. Having passed the assessment, she fine-tuned those skills while training at the Skills Process Center at Boeing’s Everett plant.

While Dwight hopes Boeing will increase Machinists’ pay during next year’s contract talks, she likes the benefits the company provides, particularly the tuition-reimbursement program.

“Maybe when my kids are older I’ll take some courses,” Dwight said. “Right now, I’m having fun.”

That same sort of enthusiasm is shared by Brandon Dowling, an assembly mechanic who works on the 747 line. His girlfriend’s father, who paints Boeing jets, steered Dowling toward working for the aerospace company this summer.

Like Dwight, Dowling picked up general knowledge during his assessment and early training but became more proficient after weeks on the job. Both say having problem-solving skills and being detail-oriented are essential to their jobs.

Already Dowling has developed a streak of Boeing pride drilling holes for the 747’s wings.

“My wings are starting to look better and better,” Dowling said. “The mistakes are getting less and less.”

Dowling plans to obtain an AMP certificate and sees a future for himself at the Boeing Co.

“I want to be able to work on the 747-8,” he said. “I’m looking forward to that.”

Reporter Michelle Dunlop: 425-339-3454 or mdunlop@heraldnet.com.

@1. Body Copy:

Boeing jobs

Interested in a job at the Boeing Co? There are several ways to begin a career there:

Attend a hiring event: Boeing will hold a job fair from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Oct. 26, at the Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave.

Go online: View Boeing’s job openings on its Web site boeing.com/employment.

Apply in person: Visit Boeing’s employment center at Boeing Field or the Employee Resource Center in Everett.

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