McDonnell Douglas to Take Friday Off : Shutdown: Company is trying to reduce costs while slowing production line. More one-day plant closings are considered.

McDonnell Douglas will close its Douglas Aircraft plant in Long Beach for one day Friday, in an effort to cut costs as new aircraft production slows, the firm said Tuesday.

The shutdown affects about 14,000 hourly and salaried workers, who are being “instructed that there is not any work here for them to perform Friday,” company spokesman John Thom said.

The closure is one measure of tough times at Douglas Aircraft, which has laid off about 4,000 workers this year after many more layoffs in past years. By cutting costs, the company has remained profitable for more than two years and hopes to survive the current aerospace bust.

“Our production has been very slow this year and we expect it to be slow again next year,” Thom said. “This gives us a chance to adjust our production to slower deliveries.” He said Douglas is considering closing the plant on additional days, though no decision has been made.

On Friday, hourly workers will not be paid, but salaried workers can opt to take the day as a paid holiday. The company will also close smaller plants in Torrance and Carson, but not in Salt Lake City or Melbourne, Ark.

The company declined to say how much money the closure will save, but based on standard industry pay rates it could total more than $2 million if the company saves a full day of pay for all 14,000 workers.

But the Southern California Professional Engineering Assn., which represents 3,900 Douglas workers in Long Beach, is advising its members that federal labor laws require the company to pay salaried employees who report for work.

“We put a memo out to people in the plant advising them of their options,” said Leonard Ricks, executive director of the union. Ricks said the union made no recommendation to the workers.

The Friday closing would be the first time that Douglas has taken such action, Thom said. It may also be a first in the aerospace industry. Randy Harrison, a Boeing Co. spokesman, said his company has never closed its plant to save money.

But Boeing is also trying to save money. Two weeks ago the Seattle-based aircraft manufacturer, which earlier this year announced thousands of layoffs, gave employees the option to taking personal days off without pay, as a way of minimizing job losses.

Douglas has suffered more than other commercial aircraft makers from losses and consolidation in the world’s airline industry, which has slashed orders in recent years.