BA Boeing Co

By Doug Cameron 

Union leaders on Friday said they planned to advance long-running efforts to organize a big Boeing Co. jetliner plant in South Carolina with a petition to the National Labor Relations Board for an employee vote later this year.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said it planned to petition for a vote among about 2,850 workers at the North Charleston facility that makes 787 Dreamliner jets, including the larger, new 787-10 model that is set to fly for the first time later this year.

The move comes as Boeing continues efforts to reduce costs that included cutting 8% of the staff at its commercial airplanes arm last year and plans for voluntary layoffs expected to be detailed next month.

The Machinists' union dropped plans for a similar vote in 2015, citing opposition from local lawmakers and the company. Boeing has said it prefers to negotiate directly with employees but insists it doesn't oppose union representation. The company's main jet-making facilities around Seattle are largely unionized.

North Charleston is Boeing's only jet-assembly facility outside Washington state, and South Carolina has right-to-work legislation that prevents workers from being required to join a union.

Write to Doug Cameron at doug.cameron@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 20, 2017 10:03 ET (15:03 GMT)

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