1,800 Boeing Union Workers Accept Buyouts

SEATTLE (AP) — Union officials say over 1,800 union members will leave Boeing under a buyout plan offered last month in a continuing company job-cutting effort.

The Seattle Times reports the Machinists union says 1,500 of its members applied for a buyout and were approved to leave the company. The engineering union says 305 members were approved and are expected to leave in April.

The number of nonunion job cuts remains unknown as Boeing declined to release any figures.

In December, Boeing Vice Chairman Ray Conner and new chief executive of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Kevin McAllister, issued a joint message to employees warning that "fewer sales opportunities and tough competition" would drive further cuts in 2017.

Boeing slashed almost 7,400 jobs in the state last year.