Boeing is furloughing

[2Driver]

Buddy is an engineer and was just notified he is furloughed at the end of the day. It could go a few weeks to several months, as long as the strike is going.

This should help plane deliveries, moral and the bottom line.

 

[BabyRay]

Well, considering there’s a strike going on, I don’t think it’s going to make much difference on deliveries, and it should help them minimize their losses. Morale was probably already in the shitter, with all that’s been going on with that company.

 

[Richard.E]

“Our business is in a difficult period,” West wrote, adding the strike “jeopardizes our recovery in a significant way.” As such, to preserve cash and “safeguard” the company’s future, it’s in cost-saving mode.


On that list of new cutbacks are a company-wide hiring freeze, a pause in raises and promotions, halting any non-essential travel, pausing all charitable or marketing and advertising spend, ending catered meals, and pausing offsites. Also, no more first-class or business-class air travel for the C-suite (though no mention was made of whether private jets are still allowed.)

The horror!! Happy my travel is getting shut down for hopefully the rest of the year.

Boeing has had 10 years to get ready for this contract… but dropped the ball on stock buybacks during the profit years (2014-2018) instead of reinvesting in the company. Not to mention the 737max crashes, the numerous fixed price defense contracts that bleed $ (KC46, T7, VC25, or the 6 billion for the Starliner that stranded astronauts in orbit) and the ongoing drive for risk management which relies on suppliers and efficiency yet disregards quality. Not to mention wages have not kept up with inflation in the last 10 years… You expect to hire the best people you need to pay them accordingly.

You factor in the high cost of living in a place like Seattle, it’s not hard to blame the workers for wanting more, especially when they watch the CEO RUN THE COMPANY INTO THE GROUND WHILE POCKETING MILLIONS.

The union was stupid to give up the pension in 2014 and agree to a 10 year contract. It’s their time to get even now, at least that’s the tone they are bringing to the table.

Boeing can wait out the striking workers, it will give them time to get their supply chain issues sorted out. No way this lasts more than 2-3 weeks max. The downside is the major quality concerns will continue to happen once this is over.

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

Workers wanted 40% raises over 4 years and rejected a counter at 25%. I don’t think many would scoff at 25% these days….

 

[Travmon]

I was on my tenth year at Boeing and we went on strike in the mid 90s for 80 days and because our supervisors did not get to strike they had to return to the floor and do our jobs they were still getting paid well I started custom painting all of their jet skis to make money, the rest is history! Went back to work after the strike ended and lasted half a day before quitting.

 

[Sandlord]

Workers wanted 40% raises over 4 years and rejected a counter at 25%. I don’t think many would scoff at 25% these days….

When I was in the Union at Boeing, we were lucky to get 2-3% per year.
Fuck em and move it to Kansas or somewhere.
The list of demands it outrageous

 

[mjc]

I was a MD when they went on strike and I think after all the lost wages during the strike they don't come out ahead anyway

 

[crzy2bealive]

I don’t see this dragging out months.

How could the people on strike survive when the union only pays them 250 bucks a week.

 

[rrrr]

Workers wanted 40% raises over 4 years and rejected a counter at 25%. I don’t think many would scoff at 25% these days….

Boeing's initial offer is generous and includes some significant benefits. The union is being ridiculous.

 

[azsunfun]

Tell the strikers when wheels don't fall off we'll talk.

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

I don’t see this dragging out months.

How could the people on strike survive when the union only pays them 250 bucks a week.

They’re probably filing for unemployment benefits.

 

[boatnam2]

They’re probably filing for unemployment benefits.

We went on strike for 48 days and we didn't get $250 a week, we got a thing of peanut butter. 40% sounds like a lot but after the last 4 years of inflation it isn't like you all the sudden going to be living large, rent now days if getting close to 3000 for a cheap apartment.

 

[Cray Paper]

One of my brothers works for Boeing but not in the IAM union, he is in SPEEA. We were born and raised in the Seattle area and lived here for most of our lives so even though I have never worked for them most a lot of my neighbors have. The IAM took it in the shorts during their last contract and gave up a lot, including pensions. They do not plan to do the same this go around and have an ax to grind with Boeing. I am only hearing one side of the story, but consider this.

Entry level machinists make a little over the Seattle minimum wage which is15.00 bucks an hour. Work at McDonalds / Dicks Drive in burgers and you will make 20.00+ an hour or more. Boeing has had piss poor leadership since the "merger" and lean hard on low wages and damn near mandatory overtime. I know my brother works 60+ hours a week, 6 days a week every week and every other Sunday too. He has been doing this for 15+ years.

Boeing also re-purchased one of the root causes for their issues and shit show Spirit Aviation recently, you know, trying to bring manufacturing back in house because the morons that decided "risk management" from MD were proven to be resoundingly wrong in their "expert" leadership ability of a once world class US engineering and manufacturing company. It has been an unmitigated disaster and is the root cause for Boeings hit in quality, public trust and lawsuits.

The shit show that has occurred at Spirit by low paid, poorly trained, managed and supervised workers is a large part of the issues Boeing has been facing. This strike is a godsend for Boeing, it will allow the corporate elite leadership to use the strike as a smoke screen to shield itself from shareholders while it tries to get the Kansas manufacturing plant up to par with the Washington State plants.

Hold the people who caused this downfall accountable, it isn't the low paid assembly line workers, it is entirely on the shoulders of previous and current leadership.

 

[Cray Paper]

Dicks Drive in is a local burger joint along the same lines of In and Out in So Cal. I took this photo a couple of weeks ago and is proof of what I said about Seattle's liberal minimum wage. This is pasted on all their front doors. Why would any uneducated unskilled person choose to work on a Boeing assembly line out of HS for less hourly compensation and way more restrictions and responsibilities when you can flip burgers for almost 5.00 an hour more with no responsibility?

 

[Andy B.]

Wait guys kamala the commie is going to intervene and save the day!!

 

[Taboma]

We went on strike for 48 days and we didn't get $250 a week, we got a thing of peanut butter. 40% sounds like a lot but after the last 4 years of inflation it isn't like you all the sudden going to be living large, rent now days if getting close to 3000 for a cheap apartment.

Were you in San Bernardino County in the early 70's ? Your comment reminded me of my best friend's brother being unemployed and back then, their version of today's EBT, was your monthly allotted shopping day at the food distribution warehouse to get your free cheese, butter, peanut butter and sack of beans.

 

[boatnam2]

Nah so cali, refinery worker, we went out in 2016. We would just get a little package at union hall, learn to make a good peanut butter and bean casserole lol

 

[crzy2bealive]

One of my friends got furloughed 3 weeks on 1 week off.

 

[Ladsm]

THe "BIG JUNGLE" company I work for is going from 3 days a week in the office to 5 days a week and re-looking at the Virtual workers again (Me). They also sent out a statement saying they want a flatter org structure and reduce managers by 15%. So basically they are reducing by attrition instead of layoffs and furloughs.

 

[crzy2bealive]

THe "BIG JUNGLE" company I work for is going from 3 days a week in the office to 5 days a week and re-looking at the Virtual workers again (Me). They also sent out a statement saying they want a flatter org structure and reduce managers by 15%. So basically they are reducing by attrition instead of layoffs and furloughs.

Yah Raytheon just did that. Told everyone to come back in the office.

 

[Cray Paper]

They’re probably filing for unemployment benefits.

Cant claim unemployment during a strike.

 

[PDQH2O]

So execs go DEI and cut a lot of corners, made very poor decisions and ran the company into the ground. Now those at the top expect the losses to be made up by mid level management, engineers, and others. That sounds like a Big “B” plan of action.

Never been a fan of the unions, nor do I trust management, but I think the company offer was very fair to the workers. Especially in this day and age. its just too bad that those who had nothing to do with the problems have to pay the price and those who caused the losses get off with a huge parachute.

 

[Cray Paper]

I was a MD when they went on strike and I think after all the lost wages during the strike they don't come out ahead anyway

That is usually how strikes go, but sometimes, at some point workers have to bite the bullet, lose income and lay the ground work for better pay in the future. It's never easy, for the workers on strike or the other workers / tradesman and or union members that are not on strike and deciding whether or not to work and support those on strike.

On big commercial construction projects you see how much money is wasted by these giant corporations that we build for and their reasoning for not making decisions on time, truly understanding what they want built. making flat out dumb decisions by people that are not capable of understanding what they are doing and impacts of their poor decision making etc. This is after those that are smarter than everyone else squeezes the last once of blood out of the turnip in the bidding process. Lots of captains in seats in these companies that don't / cant make critical decisions when it's time to be a captain. It is truly amazing to see how much money is pissed away by these huge companies (actually not their money but shareholders money) but that part never gets shared or discussed. That is what the common worker see's when working for these giant companies. Not saying an insulator for the heat and frost union should be making 60.00 an hour in the Seattle area (strike ended a couple of months ago), but I cant blame them for striking and getting it. The strike that ended a month before that one was by low voltage "electricians", half watts. Two of the lowest skilled trades in the construction industry struck and now are making really good wages compared to other much more skilled trades.

 

[Sandlord]

Don’t they get cost of living raises as well.
We did when I was hourly.
However, it was just taken for granted and never considered when it was time for negotiation.
40% In addition to COLA sounds greedy