Boeing, the Chicago-based aerospace company, will lay off approximately 1,100 jobs by the end of 2012, it said in a statement this week.
Around 900 of them will be at the company’s production component in Long Beach, California. The company is slowing down production for its C-17 military aircraft.
The majority of the impacted workers are involved in the building the Boeing C-17, a military cargo that has been used for transportation purposes by military and humanitarian organizations worldwide.
“This has been a very difficult decision, no question about it,” said Bob Ciesla, C-17 program manager according to the release.
Reducing the amount of C-17s each year, along with a smaller workforce, “will allow us to keep the production line open beyond 2012, protect jobs, and give potential customers more time to finalize their airlift requirements,” he added.
Around 200 more jobs will be cut in the company’s Mesa, Ariz., Macon, Ga., and St. Louis plants.
In its announcement, Boeing stated that the company has been assisting impacted workers to seek suitable positions within the company.
The fleet will still continue to “operate at an accelerated rate” due to the US adding more troops in Afghanistan, the company said.
“We’ve been communicating frequently with our employees about this process for the past year and will continue to do so,” added Ciesla.
The program currently supports 25,000 supplier jobs in 44 states and has an annual impact of $5.8 billion. Boeing has transported 226 of the C-17 aircraft around the world since the inception of the program 18 years ago.
Around 900 of them will be at the company’s production component in Long Beach, California. The company is slowing down production for its C-17 military aircraft.
The majority of the impacted workers are involved in the building the Boeing C-17, a military cargo that has been used for transportation purposes by military and humanitarian organizations worldwide.
“This has been a very difficult decision, no question about it,” said Bob Ciesla, C-17 program manager according to the release.
Reducing the amount of C-17s each year, along with a smaller workforce, “will allow us to keep the production line open beyond 2012, protect jobs, and give potential customers more time to finalize their airlift requirements,” he added.
Around 200 more jobs will be cut in the company’s Mesa, Ariz., Macon, Ga., and St. Louis plants.
In its announcement, Boeing stated that the company has been assisting impacted workers to seek suitable positions within the company.
The fleet will still continue to “operate at an accelerated rate” due to the US adding more troops in Afghanistan, the company said.
“We’ve been communicating frequently with our employees about this process for the past year and will continue to do so,” added Ciesla.
The program currently supports 25,000 supplier jobs in 44 states and has an annual impact of $5.8 billion. Boeing has transported 226 of the C-17 aircraft around the world since the inception of the program 18 years ago.
