Boeing workers signal support for strike if collective bargaining fails • Washington State Standard
Boeing machinists voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to go on strike if the company fails to reach an agreement with their union in the first full collective bargaining negotiations in 16 years.
District 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, which represents more than 30,000 of the aircraft manufacturer’s employees in Washington, is demanding a 40% pay increase for workers over the next three years.
“We will be the highest-paid aerospace workers in the entire world,” Brian Bryant, the union’s international president, told machinists gathered at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park to vote on strike authorization. “We will accept nothing less.”
The union’s lowest-paid workers start at $15.74 per hour and is a maximum of $23.74; the union’s highest-paid workers start at $26 per hour and are a maximum of $51.44 per hour. Wages are slightly higher for late and night shifts.
The strike vote passed with almost 99.9%, the union said. There is no guarantee that a strike will happen and if workers were to strike, it would be required. at least two additional votes from union members.
Boeing can avoid a strike by reaching an agreement with the union before the current collective bargaining agreement expires on Sept. 12. The union said the tentative vote allows members to receive strike benefits without undue delay and acts as a catalyst that sends a “strong signal to the company.”
The strike sanctions come as Boeing faces tougher cuts following two plane crashes in recent years that killed nearly 350 people and other accidents – including a blowing out door stopper of a Boeing aircraft in January.
The union is calling for more quality inspectors and greater involvement of members in quality control.
“We have to save this company from itself,” said Jon Holden, president of IAM District 751. “We have to push them further than ever before.”
The union is also calling on the company to reinstate pension insurance and other retirement benefits, offer better health insurance and agree to abolish mandatory overtime on weekends.
Ariel McKenzie has worked at Boeing for 10 years. As a single mother, she said she can barely pay her bills on the company salary as an assembly mechanic.
“Boeing used to be a great place to work,” McKenzie said. “You used to be able to support a family of four on a Boeing salary… their wages are just stagnant and they haven’t kept up with industry standards.”
Other demands include reducing the time it takes for a worker to move from a new job to the highest pay level from six to four years and requiring Boeing to commit to building its next plane in Washington and Oregon. The Financial Times reported that the union is also seeking a seat on Boeing’s board of directors.
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Negotiations for the new contract began in March. The last full contract negotiation took place in 2008. A series of controversial extensions held it in place.
Many union members appeared excited at the rally — 800 of them rode motorcycles down Interstate 90 ahead of the vote to demonstrate their power. The Standard saw some Boeing workers arrive in what looked like a party bus, cheering and waving yellow ballots.
A Boeing spokesman said the company remained “confident” that an agreement could be reached “that balances the needs of our employees and the business realities we face as a company.”
However, union members said they disagreed.
“Look at Boeing’s track record of making bad decisions,” said Jon Voss, who has worked at Boeing for 13 years. “They’re likely to continue making bad decisions and force us to strike just so we can continue to provide for our families and our communities.”
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