Regional Public Journalism
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Dispatches from public radio's correspondent at the Washington Legislature. Austin Jenkins is the Olympia correspondent for the Northwest News Network. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) weekly public affairs program "Inside Olympia."

St. Louis Machinists President: Keep 777X In Washington

Boeing
File photo of a Boeing 777 jetliner.

The president of the machinists union in St. Louis says Boeing should build the 777X in Washington.

And he’s angrily denying reports that his members would accept the Boeing contract recently rejected by Northwest machinists. The Missouri legislature is currently meeting in special session to consider a Boeing incentive package.

This week, the Wall Street Journal’s aerospace reporter tweeted a claim by Republican lawmakers in Missouri. They said the state’s Governor Jay Nixon had told them that Boeing machinists in St. Louis would accept a contract like the one Washington machinists soundly defeated last month.

St. Louis machinists union president Gordon King says he saw a similar report on his local news.

“That is totally false," he says. "I have never spoke to the Governor about that.”

King says he would not even present to his members the contract Boeing offered machinists here. Not only that, he says the 777X should be built in Washington.

“My brothers and sisters in Seattle are the most qualified and experienced to perform that work.”

King says if Boeing decides to go elsewhere, he’d like to see the work stay with the machinists and come to St. Louis.

Missouri is one of more than a dozen states competing to land the 777X.

Since January 2004, Austin Jenkins has been the Olympia-based political reporter for the Northwest News Network. In that position, Austin covers Northwest politics and public policy, as well as the Washington State Legislature. You can also see Austin on television as host of TVW's (the C–SPAN of Washington State) Emmy-nominated public affairs program "Inside Olympia."