Council committee urges selection of Boeing for tanker contract

March 24, 2010

Summary

Motion in support of company sent to full Council

Story

Voicing its support for the 75,000 workers employed in the region’s aerospace industry, the Metropolitan King County Council’s Committee of the Whole today unanimously adopted, and sent to the full Council, a motion urging the United States Department of Defense to select Boeing to build the next Air Force midair refueling tanker.

“Boeing is a major employer in the Puget Sound Region and a vital part of our local economy. Every month that this contract is up in the air, our region is losing potential jobs and economic benefits,” said Council Vice Chair Jane Hague, chair of the Committee of the Whole and primary sponsor of the motion. “We need to let the Defense Department know that this tanker needs to be built with U.S. workers and U.S. dollars – right here in Washington State.”

The Boeing Company has been in the running for the approximately $35 billion contract for several years. Northrop Grumman in partnership with European-based Airbus was awarded the contract two years ago, but Boeing appealed the decision and the contract was put out for rebid. Northrop Grumman was still considered a major competitor for the contract, but pulled out of the bidding earlier this month. There are reports that a consortium headed by United Aircraft Corporation, a Russian-based government-owned aerospace company, is investigating bidding on the contract. There is also the possibility that the Department of Defense may split the contract between two companies.

In urging the U.S. Department of Defense to award a solo contract to Boeing, the motion notes that making the company the sole manufacturer could create or retain 40,000 to 50,000 jobs in this country during the greatest economic downturn in generations.

The motion now goes to the full Council for final action at its March 29 meeting.