As you know, the Machinists voted down Boeing's last contract offer, and as a result, the company's looking at moving their 777X production to another state, such as Missouri or the Carolinas. California's also a possibility, but there are so many negatives in that state that the possibility of moving production there seems remote. Washington's gamely trying to keep them there, but it's likely going to come down to next week's Machinist vote again.
Washington’s bid for the 777X may hinge on a Jan. 3 vote by union machinists on whether to accept a contract extension rejected by union officials that would freeze pensions and eventually replace them with a 401(k)-style retirement plan.
If they reject it again, the implications are huge: the state's likely to see a credit drop, higher borrowing costs, and of course, a lot less revenue - because if Boeing then decides to move operations out of Everett, the ripple effect is going to be a killer. Everything from coffee shops and restaurants to contractors, suppliers, and transport will be adversely affected. Less revenue to them means less revenue to the state, and would likely translate to higher unemployment levels across the board.
It'll be interesting to see the results of next Friday's vote. Are union members really stupid enough, and greedy enough, to kill not only their own jobs, but the entire state economy? Even the most die-hard unionistas can't be that dumb. Or can they?
After all, the ILWU thugs in Portland have almost managed it.
