More Boeing layoffs impact Washington workers

Aerospace company Boeing has announced another round of layoffs, this one impacting 396 workers in Washington state. 

About half of the Boeing employees laid off in this round of cuts are members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace.  Bryan Corliss, a spokesperson for SPEEA, said in recent months, his union has seen over 3% of its members across the U.S. laid off from Boeing. The company is facing serious financial trouble in the wake of incidents involving its aircraft. 

The recent layoffs are the latest in impacts to SPEEA members, who have seen work move to nonunion Boeing sites, get sent overseas or be turned over to third-party contractors. In Corsliss’ career in communications for different unions that represent Boeing employees, he said he has come to understand that the sentiment among workers is that layoffs are expected.

“A lot of Boeing moves in the last decade, two decades, have been — I guess you could call them penny-wise, but pound-foolish,” Corliss said. 

Many of the employees let go are in positions such as manufacturing planning, designing and engineering. SPEEA members work across the entire life cycle of a plane’s creation at Boeing, Corliss said.

There might be opportunities for these workers within the space industry in the Puget Sound region, said Stan Shull. He’s a space industry analyst and consultant based in the Seattle area. 

“ There’s certainly an opportunity there for people who are interested in space who might have the right particular background in engineering, and a lot of these space companies are definitely looking for people who have at least several years of experience,” Shull said.

There are somewhere between 1,200 and 1,300 open jobs in the space sector in the Puget Sound region, Shull said. Companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin and even Amazon, with its satellite project, could be places where aerospace professionals can apply their experience. 

But working for these companies might be a different experience than working for Boeing. Generally, the jobs are not unionized. Shull said the space sector has a more quick-moving, entrepreneurial spirit.  

“Anyone who’s comfortable in that kind of environment, I think would be a good fit,” Shull said.

SPEEA is currently reviewing the layoffs to ensure that Boeing followed the layoff procedures in union contracts. The union hosted two response meetings to connect members with resources for filing for unemployment and finding new work. About 70 people attended the meetings this week, Corliss said.

Union locals for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said they did not have members impacted in this round of layoffs. 

Boeing did not answer questions over email, and instead provided a statement, which read, in part, “… We are adjusting our workforce levels to align with our financial reality and a more focused set of priorities. We are committed to ensuring our employees have support during this challenging time.”

The company also shared that eligible employees will receive severance pay, career transition services and subsidized health care benefits for up to three months after they are laid off.

According to the Washington State Employment Security Department, the layoffs are effective starting Feb. 21, 2025.