In the aircraft industry, Boeing Co. announced it would borrow up to 670 production workers from Lockheed Corp. to aid in reducing a large backlog of orders for its 747-400 commercial jumbo jetliners. This move also aided Lockheed by providing work for employees of its Marietta, GA, plant, which is nearing completion of a contract to produce a C-5B transport aircraft for the Air Force. The plant has 10,000 employees, compared with 20,000 at the end of 1987.
The president of Machinists Local 709 at Marietta called the 6-month transfer of employees to Boeing’s Everett, WA, plant a “blessing, because our main goal is to keep people working.” Although Boeing’s workers also are represented by the Machinists, the transferred workers will be covered by Local 709 contract terms. The local president said the employees will receive a wage increase for being on “field duty” and that Boeing will aid them in finding housing.
The so-called industry assistance agreement also led some observers to speculate that Boeing and Lockheed might later agree to shift some Boeing work to the Marietta plant.
Times Colonist