Boeing Strike Affect on Fastener Makers Unclear

Jason Sandefur

As the machinists’ strike at Boeing continues, speculation is mounting on how the halt in production for the 787 Dreamliner and other Boeing aircraft will affect aerospace fastener suppliers.
Patrick Meade of the Industrial Fastener Institute’s aerospace fastener division told FIN that uncertainty remains about the strike’s impact on fastener makers.
“I think this strike will be a hardship to some manufacturers,” Meade told FIN. “There will likely be a reduction in shipments for a while.”
Boeing’s 27,000 machinists voted to strike over job security, medical coverage, wages and pension benefits. Experts estimate the strike could cost Boeing as much as $120 million per day.
Precision Castparts CEO Mark Donegan noted that aerospace demand is in fine shape. But the strike continues to affect other “near-term” industry players, including Barnes Group,” according to BB&T Capital Markets Manufacturing Weekly Review.
“The Boeing strike – to date, we haven’t seen any immediate impact, but the longer it would carry on, we’ll have to see what it will be,” Donegan stated. “The demand, again, is still there, but we’ll have to respond accordingly to what the ramp-up rates and the length and duration of it are.”
Donegan reiterated that PCC’s product line remains strong.
“We get some tremendous accelerators from that standpoint. I feel very good about what’s out there at least at this point in time.”
But he expressed subtle concern for the ongoing state of Boeing’s Dreamliner program.
“I just need to get kind of the 787 up and moving and kind of moving along.”
Boeing is reportedly hearing some talk of a strike among its engineers, who are unhappy with the volume of outsourced work. �2008 FastenerNews.com