Boeing cuts back on contract workers at Carolina plant

CHARLESTON, S.C. -- Boeing is trimming the number of temporary contract workers employed at its South Carolina assembly plant. The company says the reductions have been planned for some time and have nothing to do with battery problems in its 787 jetliners. Spokeswoman Candy Eslinger says the North Charleston plant employs more than 6,100 workers including regular employees and contract workers. Eslinger says it is standard practice in the industry to use contract workers when production at a plant is being ramped up. She says no regular Boeing employees are affected. Contract employees have had the chance to apply for permanent Boeing jobs in recent months. The company did not provide a specific figure of how many contract workers are affected. The reductions were first reported by The Wall Street Journal.