Gov. Gregoire announces aerospace legislation, responds to aerospace competitiveness study

For Immediate Release: April 9, 2009

OLYMPIA � Gov. Chris Gregoire today proposed legislation to develop a Washington Council on Aerospace to maintain the state�s competitive edge in the aerospace industry. Gregoire also announced she is creating an aerospace subcabinet to ensure the council�s agenda moves forward.

�The legislation we�re pursuing today will help us stay ahead of the curve as we compete with other states and other nations,� Gregoire said. �Washington has had the edge in the aerospace industry for 100 years. We need to make sure that edge stays razor sharp. This legislation is about making sure we provide a level of service the aerospace industry needs to continue to thrive and grow in Washington state.�

Gregoire�s proposed legislation, House Bill 2308, comes after the completion and release of the Aerospace Industry Competitiveness Study by Deloitte Consulting. The governor asked for the report to give her a clearer picture of what needs to be done to keep Washington�s edge as the state where the best airplanes in the world are built.

�Not surprisingly, the study found a lot for us to be proud of, and identified some steps we need to take to stay ahead of the competition,� Gregoire said. �Our advantages include aerospace�s wide presence across the state, our incredible workforce, a competitive tax environment and strong aerospace research. The study also confirmed that we need to do a lot more to stay ahead � from making sure we get the most value from the dollars spent on training, to helping labor and management communicate better.�

Gregoire proposes that the Washington Council on Aerospace coordinate worker training programs at community and technical colleges, as well as at four-year universities. In addition, the council would be charged with managing the recruitment of aerospace companies, creating jobs to grow the industry, and providing policy advice to the governor and Legislature.

�Washington state and Puget Sound is the birthplace of commercial aviation. For 93 years, Boeing has been a critical part of our community and an important employer for our neighbors and families. We live and compete in a global economy today, and we need to make sure we�re doing everything we can to remain competitive as a state,� said Sen. Claudia Kauffman, D-Kent.

�Despite the great amount of time and effort we have already directed to our economic engines over the years, our governor and the members of the state legislature have never rested on our laurels, nor have we taken for granted our state�s successful business climate,� said House Speaker Pro Tem Jeff Morris, D - Mount Vernon. �It�s well established that Washington state is a national leader but we also recognize that in today�s world, fortunes shift quickly and that sometimes the grass can seem greener somewhere else. That�s why we can�t wait until there�s a crisis we must react to. We shouldn�t find ourselves in a position where we need to pull a rabbit out of a hat.�

�By requesting this study � even after years of adopting policies that support the aerospace industry � we�ve demonstrated our vigilance and our dedication to maintaining the world�s greatest aerospace industry. And with today�s announcement of an aerospace council and subcabinet position, Governor Gregoire, with the full backing of the Legislature, is poised to ensure a long partnership with our state�s aerospace industry.�

�There is no question the aerospace industry is extremely competitive here at home and around the globe,� said Scott Carson, executive vice president of The Boeing Company and president and chief executive officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. �As we have said in the past, we all need to work together to make Washington a better place for all businesses to compete.�

�Washington has more than 80-thousand aerospace workers in the Puget Sound area alone,� said Bob Drewel, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Regional Council. �It is one of the Puget Sound�s largest industries. For every aerospace worker in Washington, there are almost two other people in our communities with jobs. We have to do whatever we can to keep and grow our aerospace industry as it is vital to our state�s economy.�

�The Machinists Union is excited to be among the stakeholders contributing to the council,� said Larry Brown, International Association of Machinists District 751 Political Director. �Washington workers have always built the best and safest airplanes in the world, and we want to keep it that way.�

Members of the council would include community college and university presidents, business and labor leaders representing the 650 aerospace companies in the state, and members of the governor�s cabinet.