“Your sacrifices have made a difference and helped the company get through this moment,” Ortberg told employees in an email seen by Reuters. “If you were furloughed without pay, we want to help you by refunding the money you lost.” Thank you for your support.”
Boeing is dealing with morale issues as it moves forward with layoffs, with many employees set to receive notice this month about the future of their positions.
“We will continue to move forward with previously announced actions to reduce workforce levels to align with our financial realities and more focused, streamlined priorities,” Ortberg wrote in a letter to employees. “These structural changes are important to us. Our competitiveness is very important and will help us deliver more value to our customers in the long term.”
A spokesman for the Aerospace Professional Engineering Employees Association, which represents Boeing engineers, said earlier that the association has been notified that 60-day unemployment notices will be issued to its members on November 15. The strike ended with a 38% pay increase over four years and a $12,000 bonus. The workers will return by November 12.
The plane maker has racked up losses of nearly $8 billion this year as it continues to grapple with a quality crisis stemming from a January air panel explosion.
“We need to work hard to restore our company and deliver on our commitments to our customers, but we are on the right path and making the right changes,” Ortberg wrote.
Boeing raised $24 billion in new capital last month to shore up its finances. Ortberg said last month he was reviewing Boeing’s business and long-term forecasts.
The company may eventually sell some assets as it shrinks its workforce to focus on the company’s key civilian aircraft manufacturing and core defense segments.
Ortberg’s email was earlier reported by aviation industry publication Air Current.