Tag Archives: Boeing Charleston

Boeing to resume 787 operations in South Carolina

Boeing will resume 787 operations at Boeing South Carolina (BSC), with most teammates returning on May 3 or May 4. The return includes all operations that were temporarily suspended on April 8 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Managers will contact each teammate returning to work with report date and shift information. Those who are not contacted should not return to the site until contacted by their manager to do so. Teammates who are able to work from home should continue to do so.

“The health and safety of our teammates, their families and our community is our shared priority,” said Brad Zaback, Boeing South Carolina site leader and 787 vice president and general manager. “Our approach to resumption of operations ensures we honor that priority by ensuring personal protective equipment is readily available and that all necessary safety measures are in place to resume essential work for our customers and prioritize the health and safety of our team. We have also taken the necessary steps to ensure a steady supply base for our operations.”

Senior leaders will return on Thursday, April 30, and managers will return on Friday, May 1, to prepare for the operations resumption. BSC teammates will return to work beginning with third shift on Sunday, May 3. First and second shift teammates will return to work on Monday, May 4.

BSC has taken extra precautions and instituted comprehensive procedures to prepare the work environment and ensure the health and safety of teammates. These measures include:

Enhancing cleaning of all buildings, including pressure washing of restrooms and thorough cleaning of break areas, cafeterias, conference rooms and other community spaces.
Posting of signage throughout the site to help keep enhanced cleanliness top-of-mind.
Adding new hand sanitization stations across the site.
Installing visual cues to reinforce physical distancing practices particularly in conference rooms, cafes and other community spaces.
Encouraging all teammates to bring and wear cloth face coverings. Some teammates will be required to wear procedural masks, which will be provided, in certain areas when working in close proximity.
Making voluntary temperature screening stations available for teammates on all shifts via no-touch thermal scanners.

Boeing will continue to monitor guidance on COVID-19, evaluate impact on company operations and adjust plans as the situation evolves.

Photo: Boeing.

Boeing to temporarily suspend 787 operations in South Carolina

Boeing will temporarily suspend all 787 operations at Boeing South Carolina (BSC) until further notice, starting at the end of second shift on Wednesday, April 8. This impacts the Airport Campus, Emergent Operations, Interiors Responsibility Center South Carolina and Propulsion South Carolina.

“It is our commitment to focus on the health and safety of our teammates while assessing the spread of the virus across the state, its impact on the reliability of our global supply chain and that ripple effect on the 787 program,” said Brad Zaback, vice president and general manager of the 787 Program and BSC site leader. “We are working in alignment with state and local government officials and public health officials to take actions that best protect our people.”

BSC teammates who can work remotely will continue to do so. Those who cannot work remotely will receive paid leave for 10 working days of the suspension, which is double the company policy. After 10 days, teammates will have the option to use a combination of available paid time off benefits or file for emergency state unemployment benefits. All benefits will continue as normal during the suspension of operations, regardless of how teammates choose to record their time. Pay practice details have been made available to all teammates.

During this time of suspension on the 787 program, Boeing will continue to conduct enhanced cleaning activities at the site and monitor the global supply chain as the situation evolves.

When the suspension is lifted, the 787 program will take an orderly approach to restarting production with a focus on safety, quality, integrity and meeting customer commitments.

The Post and Courier: Boeing Charleston lets mechanics inspect their own work, leading to repeated mistakes, workers say

Apparently Boeing cares more about speed and not accuracy on the 787 production line at Charleston, SC according to this article by The Post and Courier. Read the article: CLICK HERE

IAM withdraws its application to unionize Boeing South Carolina

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has withdrawn its petition to the NLRB for an April 22 union election at Boeing (Charleston). The unionizing election is essence has now been postponed. The union issued this statement:

Citing a toxic environment and gross violations of workers’ lawful organizing rights, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) on April 17 withdrew its petition with the NLRB for an April 22 union election at the Boeing Company in North Charleston, SC. The decision pushes the date for a subsequent election forward by at least six months and was made after IAM organizers conducted home visits with more than 1,700 Boeing workers.

The petition for a union election was filed on March 16, 2015 after a significant number of Boeing workers signed authorization cards expressing interest in union representation. Workers at Boeing had reached out to the IAM regarding numerous workplace concerns, including forced overtime, rising health care costs and a lack of respect on the shop floor.

“After speaking with Boeing workers who we were previously unable to reach, we’ve determined now is not the right time for an election,” said lead IAM organizer Mike Evans. “An atmosphere of threats, harassment and unprecedented political interference has intimidated workers to the point we don’t believe a free and fair election is possible.”

In addition to filing Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges, the IAM recently suspended home visits after two organizers were threatened at gunpoint and others reported hostile and near-violent confrontations.

“The right to organize is a legally protected civil right and no one who chooses to exercise that right in North Charleston, SC should fear for their life or safety,” said Evans. “I hold the Boeing Company, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley and their surrogates responsible for creating an atmosphere of state-sanctioned hostility toward unions and union organizers.”

The IAM will continue to work with Boeing workers and members of the Charleston community to further communicate the benefits of collective bargaining for workers and their local economies. Efforts will also be made to dispel the misinformation spread by Boeing and their allies over recent weeks.

“Boeing workers reached out to us initially because they wanted to be treated fairly on the job and build a better, more secure life for themselves and their families,” said Evans. “Boeing’s campaign of rumors and threats may have succeeded in delaying this election, but the fight to win collective bargaining rights for thousands of Boeing South Carolina workers is far from over.”

Copyright Photo: Arisara Petersen/AirlinersGallery.com. The Boeing 787 Flight Line at North Charleston, South Carolina (CHS).