Boeing Sacks 17,000 Workers Amid Strike and Safety Concerns
The aerospace manufacturer Boeing will lay off 17,000 employees—10 percent of its workforce—amid a strike, production delays, and safety concerns with its aircrafts, its CEO announced Friday.
“Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together,” said Kelly Ortberg, who took the company’s reins in August. “Beyond navigating our current environment, restoring our company requires tough decisions and we will have to make structural changes to ensure we can stay competitive and deliver for our customers over the long term.”
The company, which last reported a profit in 2018, saw its largest, 33,000-person union walk out almost a month ago after rejecting a labor deal. The stoppage is reportedly costing the firm a billion dollars a month as the two sides struggle to reach an agreement.