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Title: "THE UNITED STATES HAS NO DIVINE RIGHT TO OUR STANDARD OF LIVING" - Alan Mulally, President of Boeing
Source:
The News Tribune
URL Source: http://www.tribnet.com
Published: Feb 07, 2002
Author: John Gillie
Post Date: 2005-11-22 17:26:45 by Uncle Bill
Keywords: President, STANDARD, Mulally,
Views: 153
Comments: 21
The News Tribune Competitiveness demands that the new, more global Boeing Co. share its work and its wealth with workers around the world, the company's highest-ranking Pacific Northwest executive said Tuesday in Tacoma. Alan Mulally, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group, said Boeing can't act like British colonialists extracting wealth from other countries and exporting it all back home. Mulally, speaking to The News Tribune editorial board, said that with 70 percent of Boeing's commercial airplanes sold to airlines operating outside the United States, Boeing has an obligation to build parts of its aircraft overseas. "We just operate everywhere," he said. "We need to include everybody around the world in the asset utilization. They buy our products and pay up. We can't just extract wealth from other countries and pay ourselves. "And the United States has no divine right to our standard of living," Mulally added, defending Boeing's overseas parts production. The issue of performing work overseas is a sensitive area with Puget Sound Boeing workers who have made limiting out-sourcing one of their top priorities in ongoing labor negotiations. The Boeing executive said the company wants to concentrate on what it does best: design, sales, marketing and large-scale integration of complex products. "Competitiveness is at the top - the very top - of our agenda. Whatever we choose to do, we have to do it and add value better than anybody else in the world. "Because that's what we believe in. That's capitalism. That's market forces." Mulally said Boeing's skill at large-scale system integration is unique. "Very few people in the world can build an airplane and make it safe. So the most important thing that we do is product development, sales, marketing, new airplanes, new services and taking care of our customers." Mulally said doing what the company does best may well mean farming out more parts production elsewhere. "We just operate in this very global enterprise. Does that mean over time that we'll make less parts? We keep gravitating where we can add more value. "Does that mean we can include everybody that we can? Absolutely. Does that mean we will keep nurturing our business with China and Singapore and Japan? Absolutely. Is that good for business? Absolutely. Do we want to include everybody that we can? Absolutely." The Boeing chief said he's eager to see the Puget Sound area solve some of its infrastructure and competitiveness issues so it will be more attractive to businesses. Mulally headed a statewide competitiveness council that recommended solutions to the Legislature. The penchant for government to repeatedly study what to do and how to finance those improvements and then fail to act is particularly frustrating, he said. "The most important question is not about transportation, it's not about permitting, it's not about regulation. It's about whether we, the people of the state of Washington - not Boeing - are going to keep pulling together and have great debates, and at the end of the day move forward together. "I've never seen a set of people who want a proven solution all mapped out before we can more forward with it." Mulally said he hopes Boeing's layoffs are nearly done. The company has laid off or issued warning notices to more than 28,000 workers. Mulally in September said the company would lay off about 30,000 workers because of the aftereffects of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. But even if aircraft orders return to more normal levels, Mulally predicted, the company's payroll won't return to former levels. Boeing will add workers very conservatively. Increasing productivity will ultimately mean fewer jobs, he said. John Gillie: 253-597-8663 john.gillie@mail.tribnet.com 
Mulally: Global Boeing
must share
By John Gillie
February 7, 2002
"Americans are duty-bound
to share
our wealth
with poor nations"
George W. Bush - Source. 
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#10. To: Uncle Bill (#0)
Alan Mulally, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes Group, said Boeing can't act like British colonialists extracting wealth from other countries and exporting it all back home. Fine.. Now, since you're just another useless eater, sucking on our collective tit, you can pay more in taxes. No more breaks, we're gonna make you tow the line. And don't even talk about a taxpayer bailout if you get in financial trouble. (Ask China to do it) Don't like it? Tough. You have no "divine right" to preferential treatment in our market.
#17. To: All (#10)
And from what I recall, Boeing has no "divine right" to government contracts, either. None what-so-ever. And remember.. You better pay those taxes! Fail to do so and I'd cut off a finger for the chance to put your assets on Ebay.. you POS.
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/LatestCompetitiveness demands that the new, more global Boeing Co. share its work and its wealth with workers around the world, the company's highest-ranking Pacific Northwest executive said Tuesday in Tacoma.
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