Furloughed Boeing employees to get paychecks back
Nov 8, 2024, 6:03 PM | Updated: Nov 11, 2024, 2:17 pm
A Boeing sign is pictured outside the Renton Production Facility one day before striking union members will vote on a new contract offer in Renton, Washington on November 3, 2024. (Photo by Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jason Redmond/AFP via Getty Images)
Boeing workers who were furloughed will be getting their paychecks back.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg made the announcement Thursday, saying employees who were furloughed during the seven-week strike will be repaid their lost wages, Reuters reported.
“I know the last few months have been difficult for our company, and for many of you personally,” Ortberg wrote to employees, according to The Seattle Times. “As we navigated through the work stoppage, we asked many of you to take a furlough to support our cash conservation efforts. Your sacrifice made a difference and helped the company bridge to this moment. We want to acknowledge your support by returning your lost pay.”
Reuters reported Boeing furloughed thousands of salaried employees on a rolling basis after the strike began in September. However, the furlough program was stopped after one month so the employees only lost one week’s pay, according to The Seattle Times. The media outlet added that many applied for unemployment benefits but didn’t get them because the state doesn’t pay for the first week of unemployment.
While employees may be celebrating, there is no timeline on when they will see the money and the company is still moving forward with laying off 10% of its workforce. The engineers union told KIRO Newsradio they are expecting the notices next week.
More Boeing: Machinist union votes to accept Boeing offer, end strike
Background of layoff decision
Ortberg said in a statement to employees on October 11 the company would lay off about 10% of its staff “over the coming months.”
The CEO added the reductions would include executives, managers and employees.
“As we move through this process, we will maintain our steadfast focus on safety, quality and delivering for our customers,” Ortberg’s letter to employees stated. “We know these decisions will cause difficulty for you, your families and our team, and I sincerely wish we could avoid taking them. However, the state of our business and our future recovery require tough actions.”
The CEO’s letter added that, given the layoff decision, the company wouldn’t proceed with the next cycle of furloughs it had previously instituted.
More details: Boeing to lay off about 10% of its workforce, stop most production of 767s amid strike
Contributing: Sam Campbell, KIRO Newsradio and Steve Coogan, MyNorthwest
Julia Dallas is a content editor at MyNorthwest. You can read her stories here. Follow Julia on X here and email her here.
