Mayfield: It’s time for Boeing to do right by their employees

It’s so simple. Treat people well and they will treat you well in return.

Boeing, now is your chance to do exactly that and to truly fix a problem more than two decades in the making.

The aerospace company used to care deeply about its employees, and for generations, they, in return, cared about the company and put their hearts and souls into the product.

It’s why, for so many years, the phrase “if it ain’t Boeing, we ain’t going” truly meant something.

More on Boeing’s slogan: If it’s not history, it’s a mystery

Then, company leaders decided to move away from the men and women who built the company and their product. Instead, they moved closer to Wall Street.

They moved the headquarters. They moved production lines. They moved their loyalty. The thousands of employees left behind — many right here in Washington — tried at first to keep the faith.

But each subsequent contract has layered insult on top of injury. Then things started to break.

It turns out airplanes safely and reliably fly when they are built by the best employees in the world who are treated like the best employees in the world. When you treat people like trash, and the wind blows … they blow away.

More from Travis Mayfield: Set aside today’s trifles and join me at the beach?

Well, the winds seem to be shifting … maybe.

The people at headquarters are finally moving back. Genuine attention to the production lines is moving back. Now it’s time to move the loyalty back, too.

Boeing, now is the time to put your money where your mouth is and tell your machinists they are the best in the world and you want them to help you become the best in the world again too. You may still be Boeing, but they are going unless you finally return some loyalty and genuine respect.

Travis Mayfield is a local media personality and fills in as a host on KIRO Newsradio