First 737 MAX workers get reassignment notices as company prepares to pause production

Boeing on Monday began notifying workers who build the 737 MAX where they will be reassigned when production stops in mid-January.

Some workers will be moved from Renton to Everett to work on the 767 and 777 and 777X.

Boeing announced last month that it is not currently planning layoffs as it pauses production of the plane, which is awaiting recertification from the FAA and international regulators following two crashes.

An internal Boeing memo said: "Propulsion South Carolina employees will support the 787 Program at Boeing South Carolina. Other team members from Renton will staff MAX airplane storage locations in Moses Lake, Washington, and the newly added Victorville, California, site."

Boeing has been building 42 MAX planes each month.

A new problem with the 737 emerged in a New York Times story, that described concerns about two bunches of wiring in the tail that could potentially short-circuit and lead to a crash if the pilots did not react correctly.

The extent of the risk is not yet clear and in a statement Boeing said "it would be premature to speculate as to whether this analysis will lead to any design changes."

The problem was identified during a close review of the plane’s systems by Boeing and the FAA.

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