The Boeing strike may have already caused more than $1.6 billion in economic losses

LAKE MOSES – Tuesday marked the 20th day of strike for 33,000 Boeing workers, and there is still no agreement between Boeing and the IAM 751 union over the workers' contract.

“The potential economic impact of this strike cannot be overstated,” Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, wrote in a statement Wednesday. “The aerospace industry directly supports more than 500,000 manufacturing workers in America, and the ongoing strike at Boeing’s Puget Sound facilities is expected to have significant economic consequences, not only in the Pacific Northwest, but throughout the United States.”

Union members have consistently pointed out that they seek competitive wages and benefits in their field and that Boeing has not kept pace with industry trends in these areas in recent years. The strike affects the Boeing factory in Moses Lake and union members have been demonstrating there since the strike began.

According to the NAM statement, the strike could result in a regional economic loss of more than $1.65 billion after just 20 days.

“This disruption will have impacts far beyond Washington state,” Timmons wrote. “The U.S. aerospace supply chain and manufacturers are interconnected, and a continued halt in production will have a devastating impact on our country.”