Snohomish County Executive ‘hoping for the best’ in Boeing’s 787 decision
Sep 22, 2020, 2:21 PM
Boeing 787 Dreamliners sit on the assembly line June 13, 2012, at the Boeing Factory in Everett, Washington. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
(Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images)
Snohomish County is preparing for the possibility that Boeing may move all 787 Dreamliner production to South Carolina in a matter of weeks, removing the 787 production line in Everett.
Some sources and aviation industry experts have told KIRO 7 TV that the move is close to a done deal.
For now, Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers is waiting for the official word, but says Boeing workers are family and the community needs to stand with them.
“Boeing workers are our families, neighbors,” Somers said. “The Boeing plant’s been here, the Boeing Company, we’ve got a great partnership out of Paine Field.”
“It’s like a family member is hurting,” he added. “And when a family member is hurting or having problems, you’ve just got to be supportive and get through it together.”
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Somers says the county needs to be ready to assist those who might lose their jobs if the Dreamliner production does head east. The county executive says there would still be close to 30,000 Boeing employees working in Everett even after the potential move.
“If Boeing does decide to consolidate, we’ve got a lot of workers who are going to need assistance, perhaps re-training, that’s not going to change,” he said. “So we better just focus on what we can do.”
“They’ve been here for over 50 years at the Everett plant, and we anticipate, no matter what, they’re going to be here for many, many, many more years,” Somers added.
Hopefully, Somers continued, Boeing will stay in Snohomish County for at least another 50 years.
“We know a decision is going to have to be made in the short-term, but we are very much looking to the long term,” he said. “So we’re hoping for the best, but planning for whatever outcome is announced.”
The county recently launched the Better With Boeing campaign, saying Snohomish County is “the best place for continued growth in aerospace and aviation in America.” Boeing is the largest employer in the state, and the campaign is committed to continuing the “decades-long” local partnership with the aerospace giant.
KIRO 7 TV’s Ranji Sinha contributed to this report.
