Boeing's future in Tulsa

Wednesday, April 28th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Boeing is currently deciding whether it wants to sell off its plants in Wichita, Tulsa and McAlester. A British company called GKN is being mentioned again and again as a leading contender.

News on 6 business reporter Steve Berg finds out what people know about GKN and what they might expect if there's a British takeover.

Longtime Boeing employee Roger Teegarden says he's heard the GKN rumor like a lot of people, but not much information. "I don't really know a whole lot about GKN."

The British company is mentioned as a leading contender to buy the Tulsa plant in large part because they bought a Boeing plant in St. Louis.

Workers in Tulsa may be happy to know that wherever GKN has taken over, the unions have apparently stayed intact. "We're just hoping that all the rumors we've heard about GKN as far as liking to keep the unions and all this other stuff is up to par."

Of course workers who remember the old Rockwell days know very well that the building at the Tulsa airport didn't always say Boeing on the outside, but the building is still here and so are the workers.

Union leaders in St. Louis say that was the case when GKN bought the Boeing plant there. "Our I.A.M. members for the most part maintained jobs in those same factories that they worked in. New GKN badge, but the same buildings and mostly the same people."

At St. Louis, they say the factories are actually better utilized under GKN with better job security. "In fact, I think in that case over there, by GKN being their own entity over there, they've actually been able to bring in work in those factories that we were not able to bring in as the Boeing Company."

Even if Boeing is going, they say the Tulsa plant will continue to be a Boeing supplier. The only question is will the name change.