Boeing to halt 787 production at famed Washington state facility
MOVES FROM UNIONIZED FACILITY TO RIGHT TO WORK STATE

Boeing 787 airliners are seen during production at the company's plant in Everett, Wash. Production of the model in Everett will end next year, Boeing said Thursday. File Photo by Jim Bryant/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Boeing said Thursday it will consolidate production for its 787 airliner to a single plant in South Carolina, a cost-cutting measure to mitigate losses brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move will end the model's production at Boeing's Everett, Wash., facility sometime next year.

UNION BUSTING BY ANY OTHER NAME
The announcement is a double blow for the Everett facility, which famously assembled 747 airliners for decades. Boeing has said it will end 747 production in 2022.

"The Boeing 787 is a tremendous success it is today thanks to our great teammates in Everett," Stan Deal, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said in a statement. "They helped give birth to an airplane that changed how airlines and passengers want to fly.

"As our customers manage through the unprecedented global pandemic, to ensure the long-term success of the 787 program, we are consolidating 787 production in South Carolina."

The Everett facility, according to Deal, will now focus on making Boeing's 737, 767 and 777 models.

The South Carolina facility started assembling 787-8 and 787-9 airplanes in 2010, three years after the Everett plant had begun. The site in North Charleston can also build the larger 787-10 model, Boeing said, something the Everett plant is not capable of.

"We recognize that production decisions can impact our teammates, industry and our community partners," Deal added. "We extensively evaluated every aspect of the program and engaged with our stakeholders on how we can best partner moving forward. These efforts will further refine 787 production and enhance the airplane's value proposition."

Boeing said an in-depth study on 787 production found the consolidation will allow it to accelerate improvements and target investments.

'Stan,' one of most complete T. rex skeletons, goes to auction

A Tyrannosaurus rex is on display Thursday at Christie's Auction House in New York City. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- One of the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons in existence will be up for sale at Christie's Auction House next week, when it may set a new purchase record.

The dinosaur, named "Stan," was discovered in the South Dakota Badlands in 1987. It stands 13 feet high and measures nearly 40 feet long, with a heavy tail.

Stan will be sold as part of Christie's 20th Century Evening Sale on Tuesday.

"This is one of the best specimens discovered," James Hyslop, head of Christie's Science and Natural History Department, said in a statement.

The dinosaur is named after paleontologist Stan Sacrison, who uncovered its remains 33 years ago.

Hyslop said paleontologists carefully excavated 188 of Stan's estimated 300 total bones, more than any excavation has previously recovered.

The Black Hills Institute in South Dakota has been studying Stan for the past 20 years and has written numerous reports about its findings. Chicago's Field Museum bought the most recent T. rex skeleton, named "Sue," which sold for a record $8.36 million in 1997.

Researchers believe Stan was an imposing figure during his lifetime, weighing seven or eight tons. It had 58 teeth -- some as long as 11½ inches, which helped the dinosaur eat as many as 500 pounds of meat.

A 2005 reproduction of Stan's skull, to recreate his bite force, determined it was strong enough to crush a car at four tons per square inch.

Paleontologists at the University of Southampton, which studied some of Stan's bones, believe the dinosaur lived during the Cretaceous period about 115 million years ago.

N.Y. diocese files for bankruptcy due to wave of sex abuse lawsuits


A wooden Catholic cross is seen during an event on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. A leading advocate for victims said Thursday the new filing is an attempt by a Long Island diocese to "conceal the truth about predator priests." File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- A Catholic diocese in suburban New York City on Thursday became the largest in the United States ever to file for bankruptcy to shield itself from lawsuits that make accusations of clergy sexual abuse.

The Diocese of Rockville Centre said it filed for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York.

"The filing is necessary to manage litigation expenses, address disputes with the diocese's insurers and facilitate settlements with abuse survivors who brought lawsuits under the Child Victims Act," church officials said in a statement.

The Long Island diocese -- one of the largest in the United States, with 1.4 million members -- said payouts to victims and decreased revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic left no option but to file.

The diocese has faced hundreds of suits since in the past year since New York implemented its Child Victims Act, which opened a new legal channel for victims who were previously barred from suing under statute of limitations laws.

"This decision was not made lightly, but, with the passage of the Child Victims Act ... it has become clear the diocese would not able to continue its spiritual, charitable and educational missions while shouldering the increasingly heavy burden of litigation expenses associated with these cases," said Rev. John Barres, Rockville Centre's bishop.

More than two dozen Catholic dioceses and archdioceses nationwide have filed for bankruptcy under the weight of sexual abuse cases and settlements, according to leading advocate and Minneapolis attorney Jeff Anderson.

"The Diocese of Rockville Centre's decision to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy is a disappointing, yet unsurprising, attempt to conceal the truth about predator priests in the diocese at the expense of sexual abuse survivors," Anderson said.

"Like their recent attacks on the Child Victims Act and their efforts to intimidate survivors from coming forward, we see the diocese's decision to declare bankruptcy as strategic, cowardly and wholly self-serving."

Harvest Moon ; first of two full moons in October

An airliner moves in front of a nearly full moon and behind the Statue of Liberty in New York City on Wednesday, seen from Jersey City, N.J. The Harvest Moon will rise late Thursday afternoon. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo


Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Thursday will mark the first of two full moons for the month of October -- the so-called Harvest Moon.

The moon will be at its fullest at 5:05 p.m. EDT Thursday and should appear full through Saturday morning.

Since it's the full moon closest to the autumnal equinox (Sept. 22), it's known as the Harvest Moon in many parts of the world. Most years, though, it falls in September. The moniker dates back to at least 1706, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.

Various cultures worldwide have given it different names.

The Algonguin tribes in the United States call the first full moon of fall the Travel Moon, the Dying Grass Moon, the Sanguine Moon or the Blood Moon -- some of which appear to reference the changing colors of leaves, NASA says.

Travel Moon could be related to the migration of animals as they prepare for winter.

Some Asian countries, including China and Vietnam, associate this particular full moon with their mid-autumn festivals. In China, such festivals may bear the names Moon Festival or Mooncake Festival.

In Japan, people participate in tsukimi, or moon-viewing festivals, at this time of year. The tradition of offering sweet potatoes gave the moon the name Imomeigetsu, or Potato Harvest Moon.

In Laos, the moon is linked to a boat racing festival called Boun Suang Huea, and in Sri Lanka, they call the moon Vap Poya, which comes before a festival in which people give new robes to monks.

Buddhists call the moon Pavarana to mark the end of Vassa, a three-month period of fasting associated with monsoon season.

In Judaism, the full moon falls near the beginning of the Sukkoth holiday, a seven-day event in the middle of the lunar month of Tishrei. Sukkoth begins on Friday.

The next full moon will take place Oct. 31. Because it will be the second full moon of the calendar month, it'll be a Blue Moon.

New California law forms panel to examine reparations for slavery

Protesters march in New York City on Juneteenth, June 19, the longest-running African-American holiday in the United States. The day is significant as it marks the day that slavery ended in the United States. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 30 (UPI) -- California on Wednesday became the first state to adopt a law seeking to develop a path to pay reparations to Black residents and descendants of slavery.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the law, which orders a nine-person committee to study and develop proposals for reparations.

"Our past is one of slavery, racism and injustice. Our systems were built to oppress people of color," Newsom tweeted. "It's past time we acknowledge that."

The governor and legislative leaders will appoint the committee, which will conduct a sweeping examination of slavery in California and the United States -- as well as lasting consequences and recommend what kind of compensation should be provided and who should receive it.

"As a nation, we can only truly thrive when every one of us has the opportunity to thrive," Newsom added. "Our painful history of slavery has evolved into structural racism and bias built into and permeating throughout or democratic and economic institutions."

The new law states that 4 million Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the United States between 1619 and 1865.

California was founded as a free state in 1850, but several laws allowed for residents to maintain slaves if they lived there temporarily or bought slaves before it obtained statehood.

Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, chair of California's Legislative Black Caucus and the author of the bill, said the law was written last year prior to widespread national unrest that was driven by the police killings of George Taylor in Minnesota and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky.

"This is not just because of the circumstances we face," she said. "What happened is that, of course, those circumstances reinforced the fact that what we were saying all along was true.

"Some think we're just responding to the moment, but we're responding to the history of California and the life of Black people in California and this nation."

Air Force conservation efforts aid red cockaded woodpecker

Baby red-cockaded woodpeckers receive plastic identification bands. An effort including the U.S. Air Force led to the planned reclassification of the rare species from endangered to threatened. Photo by Senior Airman Destinee Sweeney/U.S. Air Force

Sept. 30 (UPI) -- A rare woodpecker species is moving from "endangered" status to "threatened" after a conservation project involving the U.S. Air Force.

Ceremonies held last week by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services at Fort Benning, Ga., noted the return of the red cockaded woodpecker, a rare species listed as endangered since 1970.

Restoration of over 23,000 acres of pine trees since 2012 on Air Force bases has resulted in a 178% increase of the birds' on-base populations, the Air Force said on Wednesday in a statement. Air Force bases now house 585 active potential breeding groups.

"Our ranges are home to a diversity of wildlife, and with increasing urban development around them, these installations can become the last refuge for some species like the red cockaded woodpecker," Kevin Porteck of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center said.

The bird, native to the southeastern United States, grows to about eight or nine inches in height at maturity, and has a sharp beak.

Eglin Air Force Base and Tyndall Air Force Base, both in Florida, are among locations included in over 373,000 acres of pine forests actively managed by the Air Force.

Natural resources managers at Eglin also drilled more than 1,500 artificial nest cavities as potential nest sites for the birds. Recovery efforts there have been so successful that the installation donated 212 juvenile woodpeckers to enhance other populations in the region, the statement noted.

Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and Fort Benning Garrison Commander Col. Matthew Scalia were at Fort Benning on Sept. 25 to celebrate the proposed downlisting, from endangered to threatened status, of the red cockaded woodpecker under the Endangered Species Act.

"Partnering for conservation has improved the condition of the red cockaded woodpecker," said Bernhardt. "It also allows us to take this important downlisting step."

United pilots union votes to approve deal to stop furloughs


The United Airlines pilot union announced Monday that members approved a deal to avoid almost 3,000 furloughs. File Photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 28 (UPI) -- The United Airlines pilot union members voted to approve an agreement with airline management that would cancel almost 3,000 previously announced furloughs, the union said Monday.

"Our members understood that in order to protect pilot jobs, we needed to approve this agreement," Todd Insler, United Master Executive Council chairman said in a statement. "We're spreading the existing flying among our pilot group while locking in permanent contractual gains. I am proud of our pilots for showing the unity and resolve needed in the face of uncertainty."

The deal prevents any United pilot from being furloughed at least until June 2021, the union said. The company also agrees to allow early retirement for all pilots over age 50 with 10 years of experience. The deal will also shield pilots from temporary work reductions based on market demands, the union said.

"While we still face a difficult path to recovery, your support of this creative and unique agreement puts us in an unparalleled position of strength when demand recovers," Brian Quigley, the airline's senior vice president of flight operations, said in a statement on Monday. "In addition to avoiding furloughs, this agreement greatly enhances our ability to bounce back -- so we can welcome more passengers and return to the 2019 levels of seat and fleet advancement more quickly

About 2,850 pilots were scheduled for layoffs beginning in October, with 1,000 more pilot furloughs scheduled for next year.

The deal was ratified by 58% of the pilots who voted on it. About 13,000 United pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association.

Meanwhile United still plans to lay off 12,000 other union employees this week, including flight attendants and mechanics.

The Delta Air Lines pilot's union announced Tuesday that the company would postpone the furlough of more than 1,700 pilots until Nov. 1 to give the union and company more time to negotiate, including the possibility of wage cuts.

Most of Delta's tens of thousand of workers won't face job cuts due to voluntary leaves of absence, buyouts and shorter schedules, the airline said.

United and other airlines announced furloughs and job cuts starting Thursday, when $25 billion of federal pandemic rescue aid and protection against furloughs expires. CEOs of U.S. airlines such as Delta and American Airlines are lobbying Congress and the White House for another $25 billion to delay furloughs through next March, but Congress seems unable to come to an agreement on a fourth installment of pandemic relief.

Passenger traffic on U.S. airlines dropped by two-thirds during the second quarter in June to 236,000 flights down from 670,000 flights last year, the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics reported.

Airlines worldwide have experienced significant losses since the pandemic began early this year and virtually all have made cutbacks to offset the lost revenues from declines in passenger traffic.

South Korean labor unions agree to wage freezes

Members of Hyundai Motor’s trade union vote on this year’s wage deal at the carmaker’s factory in Ulsan, South Korea on Friday. Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor trade union

SEOUL, Sept. 28 (UPI) -- COVID-19 is having such a profound effect on South Korea's economy that even labor union members are agreeing to freeze wages at major conglomerates.

Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday that the automaker's management and labor union had agreed to freeze wages for the first time in 11 years. Later in the day, some 52 percent of its union members voted in favor of the decision.


It marks the third time that Hyundai unionists have accepted a wage freeze after the Asian Financial Crisis really took root in 1998.

"We did our best for job security and proper salaries of employees amid the worst situation caused by COVID-19," Hyundai's trade union chief, Lee Sang-soo, said in a statement.

SK Securities analyst Kwon Soon-woo said Hyundai's management-labor agreement would likely trickle down to the wage contracts at Kia Motors, an affiliate of Hyundai.

"The chances are that Kia Motors would come up with a similar wage deal as Hyundai," Kwon said.

The management and labor of the country's largest steelmaker, POSCO, also agreed to freeze the wages in late August for the first time in five years. Nearly 94 percent of unionists voted for that deal.

However, other unionized workers -- like those at General Motors Korea -- are threatening to launch a strike.

GM Korea's union is asking for more than $17,000 in bonuses and incentives per worker, as well as a roughly $100 raise to monthly salaries. The company's management is so far declining the request, citing recent losses.

GM Korea has been reporting operating losses over the past six consecutive years, totaling more than $2.5 billion to date.

"The strong stance of GM Korea unionists can make things worse. In this climate, the government would not be able to offer any support at a time when GM Korea is feared to leave the country," said Sung Tae-yoon, a professor at Yonsei University.

Korean media outlets have repeatedly reported on concerns that GM Korea might withdraw due over continued losses and ongoing disputes with its trade union.

Former United Auto Workers president pleads guilty to embezzling funds


Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Dennis Williams, the former president of the United Auto Workers, pleaded guilty Wednesday to embezzling funds from the union.

Williams, 67, of Corona, Calif., pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to embezzle union funds, after resigning his membership on Sept. 18.

The plea comes after Williams' successor, Gary Jones, pleaded guilty in June to embezzling more than $1.5 million in union funds along with two co-conspirators.

Williams said he suspected Jones was improperly using union funds to pay for golf trips, meals and rental stays for conferences but "deliberately looked away" after Jones twice told him "everything was above board."

"I made a deliberate and conscious decision not to press the matter, even though I strongly suspected that if I looked into how Gary Jones was funding those expenses, I would find union funds were being misused," he said.

An investigation into the auto industry has resulted in 15 former union and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and has resulted in the exposure of offenses such as breaking federal labor laws and receiving illegal benefits from union contractors.

Williams faces up to two years in prison for the charges, depending on his plea deal.

The UAW on Wednesday condemned Williams' actions and said he should face consequences.

"Former UAW President Dennis Williams has pled guilty to serious infractions and in doing so put his personal and self-interest above that of our members and this Union. These serious charges deserve serious legal consequences as they violate the oath of UAW officers and they violate the trust of UAW officers to handle our members' sacred dues money," the union said.

Dr. Fauci blames gov't for 'mixed messages' on COVID-19; NYC diners reopen


Masked patrons eat outside a restaurant on Madison Avenue in New York City on Wednesday, as restaurants were allowed to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity. 

Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The top infectious diseases expert in the United States said he's concerned that some Americans are reticent to trust in vaccines and again blamed mixed messages from the federal government as a cause.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said during the Texas Tribune Festival on Tuesday that it's "disturbing" a portion of the U.S. population is reluctant to believe in vaccine safety. He asked citizens to trust in the process and expressed optimism that a safe COVID-19 vaccine might be available before the end of the year.

"I feel cautiously optimistic, as a scientist, that we will have a safe and effective vaccine," he said. "I believe it will happen, and it will happen likely by this end of the calendar year."

Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said "mixed messages that have come out of Washington" are at least partly responsible for Americans' skepticism.

Fauci has previously criticized the Trump administration for sending mixed messages about a vaccine.

The United States added 42,200 cases and more than 900 deaths on Tuesday, according to updated data Wednesday from Johns Hopkins University. The death toll was the highest in several days.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 7.19 million cases and 206,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States.

In Wisconsin, officials are working to contain a surge in cases. The state reported its highest single-day death toll since May and health officials are warning of a looming shortage of hospital beds.

The state's positivity rate is presently 22%.

"We are in a crisis right now," said Ryan Westergaard, chief medical officer of the Wisconsin Department of Health. "The likelihood that this is going to get much worse before it gets better is a real one."

With hospitalizations at a record high, health officials are reporting staffing shortages and warn that they may even have to set up field hospitals.

"We are nine months into this pandemic, and right now it's not slowing down, it's picking up speed," Gov. Tony Evers said, lamenting some residents who are still "carrying on business as usual" and gathering in large groups.

Evers blamed Republican lawmakers for the situation and a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling in May that struck down most of his emergency health orders, including a directive for residents to stay home.

Evers also said repeated dismissive remarks by President Donald Trump and state Republicans have persuaded some residents to behave recklessly.

Trump is scheduled to hold campaign rallies in Green Bay and LaCrosse, Wis., on Saturday.

In New York City, indoor dining at restaurants were allowed Wednesday to reopen at 25% capacity,

The reopenings were approved earlier this month by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who praised residents for keeping the city's positivity rate below 2%.

Reopening diners must undergo temperature checks and submit information for contact tracers. Bar service, however, is not allowed to reopen and masks must be worn by all visitors unless they're seated at a table.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio celebrated the milestone for restaurants but said said he will keep an eye out for signs of rising cases.

"We are going to watch that carefully, but bottom line is indoor dining will go forward," he said.