Boeing plans to issue layoff notices to thousands of workers in November 2024, meaning those employees will leave the company by mid-January 2025.
On October 14, 2024, the planemaker told the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which represents the striking Boeing workers, that it will send out 60-day notices to its members on November 15, 2024.
A second round of notices could be issued in December 2024, a union and industry source said, as reported by Reuters on October 15, 2024.
In a statement published on X on October 14, 2024, IAM said that Julie Su, the Acting Secretary of the Department of Labor, visited Seattle to meet separately with both IAM 751 leadership and Boeing to “assess the situation and urge both sides to move forward in the bargaining process”.
During her visit, Su spoke with Jon Holden, the President of IAM 751, at the Seattle Union Hall who shared the union’s past challenges with the company and provided updates on ongoing negotiations.
“He emphasized our members’ sacrifices over the past 16 years to ensure Boeing’s success, which the company should acknowledge going forward,” the union said.
Afterward meeting with Holden, Su talked with the bargaining team to “better understand the negotiation roadblocks”.
“While it is important to return to the table, the Union remains firm on securing an agreement that truly reflects the respect our members have earned and deserve,” the statement continued.
The visit comes at a challenging time for Boeing, which is facing financial losses and delays in aircraft production due to the ongoing work stoppage. On October 11, 2024, Boeing announced it would lay off 17,000 employees, roughly 10% of its workforce, and delay the first deliveries of its 777X jet as strike action by 33,000 US West Coast workers continues.
Due to this Emirates, a major buyer of Boeing widebody aircraft, is facing delays with the Boeing 777 model. As a result, the airline needs to keep its current aircraft in service longer, the carrier announced in a statement on October 14, 2024.
“Given the Type Inspection Authorisation halt on the 777X with no clear timeline for the restart, coupled with strikes entering a fourth week, I fail to see how Boeing can make any meaningful forecasts of delivery dates,” said Tim Clark, the President of Emirates.
The carrier plans to have “serious conversations” with the US planemaker in the coming months following an announcement that the 777X model will be delayed to 2026.