Boeing deal may take 3,800 jobs with it

Boeing 787 Dreamliner concept art.It appears Boeing is going to land its next plant in Charleston, South Carolina, after negotiations appear to have completely failed between the Aerospace giant and the a Washington Machinists union.

“I really wanted this marriage to work out, but I think it’s irreparably broken,” John Monroe, a former Boeing executive, told the Charleston Regional Business Journal.

The Seattle Times is reporting that the talks went bust and the second Boeing 787 Dreamliner assembly plant will be located in South Carolina. Word is that Boeing is already done talking, but the union wants to keep discussions open.

Scott Hamilton, a consultant with Seattle-based Leeham Co., told the Charleston Regional Business Journal, “Basically, it’s over.”

The South Carolina Legislature is already hard at work luring Boeing with incentive packages rich with tax breaks and startup money while drooling over 3,800 new jobs in the Charleston area.

3,800 jobs NOT in the Seattle area. Political intervention from US Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) and Washington Governor Chris Gregoire seem not to have helped.

To make sure we believe S.C.s numbers Otis Rawl of the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce said, "That provision would not have been made up. That came from the entity that's looking at the state. It's the number they anticipate creating."

Some people speculate that the 3,800 jobs might be a bit high considering how many worked at the Everett facility, where all employees are required to be members of the Machinists union. The union has drawn criticism for its ongoing strikes in the Puget Sound area. South Carolina a right to work state, meaning unions cannot mandate membership for jobs.