Bellingham Herald Logo

Gregoire: 'We did all we could' to keep 787 work, but GOP disagrees | Bellingham Herald

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Newsletters
    • News Tips
    • Share a Photo
  • Dealsaver

    • All News
    • Local
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Northwest
    • Nation & World
    • Weird News
    • Local Elections
    • Videos
    • Galleries
    • Traffic Cams
    • Webcam
    • Reader Photos
    • Columnists
    • Rules of the Road
    • All Sports
    • Seahawks
    • Mariners
    • Outdoors
    • Colleges
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • All Business
    • National Business
    • All Entertainment
    • Calendar
    • Restaurants
    • Movie News & Reviews
    • Movie Showtimes
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • All Living
    • Celebrations
    • Food & Drink
    • Families
    • Primetime Seniors
    • All Opinion
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Local Obituaries
    • Submit an Obituary

  • Public Notices
  • Cars
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Homes
  • Classifieds
  • Place An Ad
  • Mobile & Apps

Local

Gregoire: 'We did all we could' to keep 787 work, but GOP disagrees

ANDREW GARBER AND KYUNG M. SONG - THE SEATTLE TIMES

    ORDER REPRINT →

October 29, 2009 12:56 PM

Republicans quickly blamed Democrats Wednesday for failing to prevent Boeing from deciding to build a second 787 final-assembly plant in South Carolina.

But Gov. Chris Gregoire said nobody was at fault, and that Boeing told her there was nothing the state could have done. "We did all we could," Gregoire said at a hastily called news conference after the Boeing announcement.

The governor said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, "specifically said it's not about workers' compensation and it's not about state taxes. It's about the cost of salaries and benefits to the workers we have in Everett versus what we can pay in Charleston. And it's about having work stoppages that would be hard for their clients."

Gregoire said her office and the state's congressional delegation worked hard to keep the second line in Washington state.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Bellingham Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Several members of the delegation warned Boeing that moving jetliner assembly out of the Puget Sound area would be a gamble.

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., repeatedly urged Boeing CEO Jim McNerney to weigh the Seattle area's aerospace expertise against the risk of starting a production line from scratch, said John Diamond, Cantwell's spokesman.

George Behan, spokesman for U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Bremerton, said the delegation's biggest leverage with Boeing was its long-standing support of the company.

"But this is a company now run by an external board, and this decision is about bigger issues, presumably," Behan said.

Republicans argued that state Democratic leaders should have held a special legislative session this year to come up with a package of incentives to help persuade Boeing to keep the second 787 line in Washington.

South Carolina this week offered the company $170 million in grants for startup costs, plus tax breaks worth millions more.

"We could have looked at more tax incentives. We could have fixed workers' comp for them. I think those are clearly good messages to send to someone like Boeing when we're in this kind of situation," said state Senate Republican Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla.

Boeing and the business community want the Legislature to make changes in the workers'-compensation system that would lower costs for companies.

Hewitt said the state has been sending the wrong message to the company, noting that Gregoire visited the picket line during the Machinists union strike against Boeing last year.

"What do you think that tells Boeing?" Hewitt asked. "Do you think they think she cares about them?"

Gregoire said the state already has aerospace incentives on the table worth about $3 billion over 20 years that were approved by the Legislature in 2003.

She said she urged the Machinists union to remain at the negotiating table with Boeing but did not push them in any direction in terms of a decision.

State Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, said he doesn't think there's anything the state could have done. "I think they were going there from Day One."

Gregoire said the decision regarding the 787 needs to be considered separately from the other Boeing production lines and that the state will work hard to make sure more business doesn't leave the state.

She noted that Boeing wants to work on workers'-compensation issues during the next legislative session. "We cannot soften our resolve to stay as good as we can be, in order to be ready for all competition to come in the future."

  Comments  

Videos

Fire officials investigating dumpster fire in Bellingham alley

Security camera videos capture ‘person of interest’ in Bellingham fire

View More Video

Trending Stories

Here’s where the cat cafe will open, plus trampoline park to open and free chowder

February 23, 2019 05:00 AM

Whatcom County Corrections deputy fired for relationship with inmate

February 22, 2019 09:34 AM

Grieving parents say Washington’s wrongful-death law is unfair. They want changes

February 22, 2019 04:29 PM

What does your toilet paper choice mean for Mother Earth?

February 22, 2019 11:40 AM

Bird by bird, Bellingham artist turned an alley into a beloved icon. Then came the fire

February 23, 2019 05:00 AM

things to do

Read Next

Bird by bird, Bellingham artist turned an alley into a beloved icon. Then came the fire
Video media Created with Sketch.

Local

Bird by bird, Bellingham artist turned an alley into a beloved icon. Then came the fire

By Kie Relyea and

Dave Gallagher

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 23, 2019 05:00 AM

Shawn Cass, the artist known as Ruckas, created a mural behind Hohl Feed & Seed over 3 years, beautifying a part of downtown known affectionately as “Bird Alley” for its bright, winged art. Fire destroyed it Monday.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Bellingham Herald

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE LOCAL

What does your toilet paper choice mean for Mother Earth?

Local

What does your toilet paper choice mean for Mother Earth?

February 22, 2019 11:40 AM
Whatcom County Corrections deputy fired for relationship with inmate

Local

Whatcom County Corrections deputy fired for relationship with inmate

February 22, 2019 09:34 AM

Local

Video released by police shows person in alley behind Hohl building before fire

February 21, 2019 04:10 PM

Local

More snow on the way for Whatcom County? You’ve got to be kidding

February 21, 2019 02:59 PM

Local

There’s still lead in water at schools in Whatcom County, new report shows. How worrisome is it?

February 21, 2019 05:00 AM
‘Give us a little time to do the investigation,’ BFD says after another alley fire

Crime

‘Give us a little time to do the investigation,’ BFD says after another alley fire

February 21, 2019 01:03 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Bellingham Herald App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Subscriber Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
  • Archives
Advertising
  • Information
  • Place a Classified
  • Place an Obituary
  • Place a Celebration
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story