Boeing expected to announce cargo plane shutdown

LOS ANGELES — Boeing Co. was expected to tell workers Friday that it will shutter production of the C-17 military cargo plane at its Long Beach assembly line after the last aircraft is delivered in 2008, according to the congresswoman who represents the area.

Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, D-Carson, who has been in touch with company executives on the issue, said she’s encouraging officials to hold off. She planned to hold another discussion with Boeing on Thursday afternoon.

“My colleagues and I are willing to put our support behind this program long-term and we are asking the Bush administration to do the same,” she said in a statement. “I consider it a critical tool for our national security.”

Union members were told to gather for a Friday morning meeting at the main assembly building to hear an announcement from Boeing officials, said Jacki Harris, president of United Aerospace Workers Local 148.

Boeing has said the long lead time needed to order parts from suppliers means it must know by mid-August whether the government will order more planes.