Latest Contract Rejection Leaves 777X Prospects Wide Open
The Boeing 777X represents a potential boon for one or more of several states offering production sites and tax incentives. (Photo: Boeing)
The Boeing 777X represents a potential boon for one or more of several states offering production sites and tax incentives. (Photo: Boeing)

No sooner did Boeing begin evaluating bids from 22 U.S. states to build all or part of the new 777X last week when it re-entered talks with its machinists union, suddenly brightening the prospects for the incumbent, Washington state. By Thursday, however, it seemed the sides had gained little or no ground in their efforts to strike a deal for a contract extension, as union leaders quickly rejected Boeing’s most recent “best and final” offer. It marked the second rejection of a proposal by the company’s machinists that would have guaranteed production would stay in Washington’s Puget Sound region.