Boeing started firing 17,000 people, sent notices to hundreds, know what is the matter

Boeing has sent layoff notices to more than 400 members of its professional aerospace workers union. This is part of the company’s plan to lay off thousands of people as it struggles to recover from financial and regulatory problems. Apart from this, an eight-week strike by its machinist union is also a reason for this. According to the Seattle Times report, last week members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) were sent layoff notices (pink slips). Employees will get salary till mid-January.

Boeing will lay off 17,000 employees

Boeing announced in October that it plans to cut its workforce by 10 percent, or about 17,000, in the coming months. The company’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kelly Ortberg told employees that the company would have to re-determine its staffing levels in line with its financial reality. SPEEA said 438 members have been affected by the layoffs. The union’s local section has 17,000 Boeing employees based mainly in Washington, with some in Oregon, California and Utah. Of those 438 employees, 218 are members of SPEEA’s professional unit, which includes engineers and scientists. The rest are members of the technical unit, which includes analysts, planners, technicians and skilled professionals.

The strike hurt the company

Eligible employees will receive career transition services and subsidized health care benefits for up to three months. Employees will also receive a stipend, which is typically about a week’s pay for every year of service. Boeing’s unionized machinists began returning to work this month after the strike. The strike affected Boeing financially. But in a call with analysts in October, Ortberg said it did not lead to layoffs.