by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:48 AM ET, Mon April 6, 2020
Boeing officials announced Sunday the temporary shutdown of its Seattle-area airplane production would continue indefinitely due to the continued spread of the coronavirus.
According to KIRO7.com, Boeing sent an email to employees in Washington announcing the extension of a previously announced two-week shutdown. Instead of opening Wednesday, the facility would be closed to production until further notice.
The decision impacts around 30,000 of the company's 70,000 employees in the state.
"The health and safety of our employees, their families and our communities is our shared priority," Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stan Deal said in a statement. "We will take this time to continue to listen to our incredible team, and assess applicable government direction, the spread of the coronavirus in the community, and the reliability of our suppliers to ensure we are ready for a safe and orderly return to operations."
Boeing officials told The Seattle Times employees impacted by the shutdown received their regular salaries during the two-week shutdown, but would have to use vacation or sick leave for the remainder of the temporary closure.
A spokesperson for the airplane manufacturer said Friday there were 133 confirmed cases of coronavirus among employees, with 95 of them being workers in Washington. Boeing said the shutdown was based on the health and safety of its employees.
In March, Boeing announced CEO Dave Calhoun and Board Chairman Larry Kellner would forgo all pay until the end of 2020. The company also announced it would suspend its dividend and extend its pause of any share repurchasing until further notice.
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