Boeing: Another 5,000 job cuts necessary next year, bringing total to 35,000

SEATTLE (AP) _ Boeing Co. said it will cut 5,000 more jobs next year as the global aviation slump continues to exact a harsh financial toll on airlines. <br><br>The cuts would bring to nearly 35,000 the

Thursday, November 21st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

SEATTLE (AP) _ Boeing Co. said it will cut 5,000 more jobs next year as the global aviation slump continues to exact a harsh financial toll on airlines.

The cuts would bring to nearly 35,000 the number of jobs the company has eliminated since last year's Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Alan Mulally, chief executive of Boeing's commercial airplanes division, told workers the company expects half the cuts to come through attrition and the rest through layoffs. He spoke Wednesday at Boeing's widebody jetliner assembly plant in Everett, 30 miles north of Seattle.

Since the attacks, Boeing has deferred deliveries of more than 500 jets as struggling airlines pared back _ dropping routes, parking planes and rescheduling new orders.

By the end of 2003, Boeing's commercial division expects to have a work force of 60,000, down from the current 65,000, spokesman Bill Cogswell said. The first in this round of layoff notices will go out on Friday and take effect Jan. 24, he said.

For the Machinists union, whose workers have been hard hit by this year's cuts, the prospect of additional losses comes hard.

``We've been cut pretty bare bones,'' said Mark Blondin, president of the union's Puget Sound-area District 751, which lost its contract fight for increased job security. ``We kind of assumed this was leveling out right now.''

Many Machinists are working mandatory overtime shifts, he said: ``I still feel we're understaffed out there.''

Boeing's engineering and technical workers union, which is voting now on contract proposals from Boeing, said it also was dismayed by the news.

``One more layoff is one more too many,'' said Bill Dugovich, a spokesman for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace.

Chicago-based Boeing expects to deliver between 275 and 285 jets in 2003, down from the 380 expected for this year.

The number of layoffs will depend on whether the company maintains its typical 4 percent to 5 percent attrition rate.

``We believe the employment reductions will impact all of our areas, all of our employees, nonsalaried members and executives across the board,'' Cogswell said.