COLUMN: Let’s hope Boeing labor agreement marks start of a new phase of manufacturing growth

Shortly before the vote that ended the Machinist’s strike against Boeing, an unprecedented group of 53 manufacturing association and state chamber of commerce leaders from 42 states signed on to a joint letter urging both sides in the dispute to get back to the bargaining table an find a way to end it.

“The health of the United States aerospace industry is at stake, and more importantly, the livelihood of aerospace workers who are the heart of the industry,” the letter stated. “There is no time to waste. We urge all parties to reach agreement to end this strike before it’s too late.”

Thankfully, that’s exactly what happened.

While the timing of the labor agreement, just a day after the letter was sent, is no doubt a coincidence, it was still striking — and encouraging — to see a group that large mobilize so quickly to lend its voice to the issue. It was indicative not only of the importance of the aerospace sector to the nation’s economy, but also the importance of aerospace jobs to Main Street shops and restaurants across the country.

The aerospace industry directly employs more than half a million people in the U.S. and supports more than 2.2 million jobs. The sector produces $425 billion in the U.S. economy and exports more than $135 billion worth of products.

Here in Washington, the impact is especially large. In 2023, aerospace manufacturers supported 194,000 direct and indirect jobs, paid nearly $20 billion in labor income and generated $71 billion in revenue for Washington businesses, according to a recent report on the impacts of the Puget Sound’s aerospace industry published by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.

The report, published before this fall’s strike, told a “recovery story” of an industry on the rebound after the grounding of the 737 MAX and the pandemic. In 2019, Washington’s aerospace industry had 88,500 jobs, a figure that dropped to 67,500 in 2021, Since early 2022, those jobs have steadily returned and as of this July, aerospace employment was up to 81,8000. Boeing accounts for roughly 80% of aerospace jobs.

Snohomish County is home to many of those employees, but the economic ripple effect is significant. In Auburn and Renton, aerospace employees were responsible for 2.4% of restaurant sales in 2023, directly supporting 420 restaurant jobs, or the equivalent of 35 restaurants.

In Everett, a car dealership tracks the ups and downs of the aerospace industry and notes that — no surprise — when aerospace employment is up, so are car sales. The same kinds of stories play out all over the state, from Skagit County and Whidbey Island to North Bend and Moses Lake.

And they play out across the country, too. That’s why 53 organizations from 42 states — from Alaska and Arkansas to West Virginia and Wyoming and nearly everywhere in between — quickly agreed to include their name on a letter calling for an end to the costly strike.

Thankfully, the parties were able to find agreement to end the strike before it caused even more economic damage. We’re hopeful that with a new labor agreement comes a new era of manufacturing growth in Washington — and across the nation.

Kris Johnson is president of the Association of Washington Business, the state’s chamber of commerce and manufacturers association.