Boeing to add 2,000 jobs at Charleston factory
Boeing Co. will pour another $1 billion into North Charleston by 2020, adding 2,000 jobs to its relatively new facility, The Post and Courier reported.
That amounts to a roughly 33-percent increase over the 6,000 people it already employs, and some prominent politicians, including the governor and speaker of the House, told the Charleston newspaper they expected the projection of 2,000 jobs would be surpassed.
The company said it expects to see increased demand for airplanes over the next 20 years.
A bill in the state House of Representatives proposed Tuesday would sell bonds to give Boeing an incentive package of $120 million to support the expansion, according to The Post and Courier.
— Thad Moore, News Editor
Employers could fire smokers under proposed bill
There may well be smoke before fire — at least under a new bill in the state Senate.
The proposed legislation would allow employers in South Carolina to fire or refuse to hire people if they smoke, The State reported.
Under current state law, it’s illegal to fire an employee because they smoke.
State Sen. Kevin Bryant, a Republican from Anderson, said lost productivity was the impetus for the bill. According to the South Carolina Hospital Association, the state loses $1.9 billion a year in productivity because of smoking.
Health care costs associated with smoking amount to $1.1 billion in South Carolina, according to The State.
— Thad Moore, News Editor
Federal cuts to ground combat planes in SC
Federal budget cuts will keep about a third of the U.S.’s combat planes out of the air until September, and that includes units in South Carolina, The State reported.
The grounding stems from a slate of across-the-board, mandatory cuts known as sequestration, and it affects about 20 F-16 jets at Shaw Air Force Base. The move will save $591 million nationwide.
At the McEntire Joint National Guard Base, nine Air Force pilots have been grounded.
Still, pilots and crews are keeping their jobs, The State reported, though the Air Force says the cuts will affect its ability to handle emergencies.
— Thad Moore, News Editor