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US planemaker 
Boeing is reportedly planning on relocating engineering work on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Washington to South Carolina. Having already moved 787 final assembly from Washington to its North Charleston plant years ago, approximately 300 engineering and technical positions will now be relocated.
The move has angered local union leaders, who claim to have been blindsided by the manufacturer’s decision. Boeing is in the process of constructing a second final assembly building at its South Carolina facility, which will help it meet its production target of ten aircraft per month.
Boeing Shifts 787 Engineers To North Charleston
As per a Reuters report, Boeing will be shifting the remaining 787 engineering work out of Washington state to consolidate under its North Charleston facility. According to the union Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), the move will impact around 300 jobs and comes as Boeing pushes to significantly ramp up 787 production. According to a SPEEA spokesperson, it isn’t known if the decision will result in any layoffs in the Washington area, and the timeline for transferring engineering work over to North Charleston is also unclear.
The decision to move more work away from Washington has concerned local leaders, and the lack of clarity from Boeing has exacerbated the situation. Boeing’s Washington workforce already oversaw a 4% decline last year, although the region is still the manufacturer’s largest workforce base, with over 65,000 employees in the area. According to SPEEA executive director Ray Goforth,
“Our members have very legitimate concerns about their future with the company and how long they can expect to earn a paycheck in their current roles.”
Union Claims Decision Came Out Of Nowhere
SPEEA said it was shocked by the decision, which had come out of nowhere ahead of important contract negotiations this year. Apparently, Boeing had told the union just days before that there were no major decisions in the works that would affect union workers in the “foreseeable future.”
SPEEA also criticized Boeing’s decision to move workers from a highly unionized state in Washington to a non-union state in South Carolina, which it believes will inevitably erode future worker rights. In total, the US planemaker has around 17,000 SPEEA members under its employment, and its contracts with SPEEA members will be expiring in October 2026.
Negotiations on a new contract will begin later this year, and Boeing’s latest decision is certain to make these talks more tense. However, the planemaker does plan on hiring additional engineers in the Washington area to support its production of the Boeing 737, which will help offset the local impact of relocating its 787 engineers.
Boeing Breaks Ground On South Carolina Site Expansion Ahead Of 787 Rate Increase
Boeing’s bold move to invest over $1 billion in its North Charleston plant signals confidence in the 787 Dreamliner’s continued success.
Boeing’s South Carolina Expansion
In November, Boeing broke ground on its ambitious $1 billion site expansion in South Carolina, which will support the company’s efforts to ramp up 787 Dreamliner production. This will essentially be a twin of its existing facility, which is currently capable of producing up to eight airframes per month.
The development is expected to create around 1,000 permanent new jobs in South Carolina over the next five years. Boeing will initially boost production to ten aircraft this year, but will eventually be capable of producing up to 16 airframes per month when the second facility is fully operational. When 787 production was split between Everett and North Charleston, Boeing was capable of building up to 14 aircraft per month, and it aims to return to this level by 2027.
The company still has a significant backlog of 787 orders, with the aircraft family continuing to attract new orders from leading global airlines. Recent major commitments include an order from Delta Air Lines for up to 60 787-10s, and a commitment from Turkish Airlines for up to 75 aircraft.
