A possible strike at Boeing is looming as workers are preparing to vote on a tentative agreement. While some support the new deal, others don’t like it.
“It’s ridiculous,” a factory worker said. “People aren’t happy about it.”
Boeing and IAM District 751 have been negotiating a new deal since March, the aerospace company’s first full negotiation with IAM 751 in 16 years.
In July, thousands of factory workers packed T-Mobile Park for a strike authorization vote, which is part of their standard process.
Several workers, who did not want to be identified due to fear of retaliation, told KIRO 7 News that thousands of workers have been protesting during lunch breaks at Boeing plants across the Puget Sound ahead of Thursday’s vote.
Boeing workers tell me a possible strike is looming as a vote on a tentative agreement is scheduled for...
Posted by Louie Tran on Tuesday, September 10, 2024
“Around lunchtime, they started blasting off train horns. Everyone is just yelling and screaming about it,” a worker said. “They’re just trying to make noise, letting upper management know that we’re not happy. The contract that they’re calling historic. They say it’s the biggest wage we’ve gotten, but it’s been 16 years since we got a wage increase.”
The protests are not just about pay, a worker said, it’s also about safety.
“One of these airplanes holds 200 people. 40 airplanes a month. There’s a lot of people that fly on these planes. We put pride in our work, and it should reflect on what’s paid,” a worker told KIRO 7 News.
A few of the demands by the union include a 40 percent wage increase over a three-year span, reinstating Boeing’s pension, and a guarantee that the next airplane program is built in the Pacific Northwest.
“The starting pay for our wage is 19 dollars an hour. I made more at Walmart than working here,” a worker said.
Boeing shared details on its proposal, which included a 25 percent wage increase over four years – an 11 percent increase on the first day, a four percent increase over the next two years, and a six percent increase in 2027.
Boeing’s new tentative agreement would take away workers’ annual bonuses, which is roughly around three percent, according to several workers we spoke with.
Instead, the company’s proposal would contribute up to $4,160 a year to an employee’s 401(k) account, Boeing said.
“All of us union members, what we asked to be brought to the table wasn’t. It’s like I said, it’s kind of a slap in the face,” said a worker.
The aerospace company told KIRO 7 News that it’s committed to building a new airplane program in the Puget Sound and Portland.
“We put our best foot forward on the first offer to give you the reward and the respect you deserve. Simply put, this is the best contract we’ve ever presented,” the company wrote in a statement.
“We bargained in absolute good faith with the IAM team that represents you and your interests. Let me be clear: We did not hold back with an eye on a second vote,” the company added.
KIRO 7 News reached out to IAM District 751′s president Jon Holden.
We’re still waiting to hear back.
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