Tens of thousands of hourly Boeing employees were summoned to a vote on Wednesday in Seattle, which is anticipated to approve a possible walkout in the event that ongoing contract discussions fail.
“What can you do to get a good contract?” On its website, Local 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) poses this question. “Attend strike sanction vote on July 17th!”
The local employs over 32,000 people in the Seattle, Washington, area, with roughly 30,000 working at Boeing facilities in Everett, where the 777 is constructed, and in neighboring Renton, where the US aerospace giant assembles the 737. Work at both factories would stop in the event of a strike.
To replace a 16-year-old agreement, the parties started negotiations on a new contract in March. The agreement ends on September 12 at midnight.
The proposed contract is not visible to union members until Wednesday’s vote. If members reject the contract, a second vote would be needed on September 12 to go to strike.
The vote on Wednesday, according to Boeing, is merely a “procedural” step and does not guarantee a strike.
“We remain confident we can reach a deal that balances the needs of our employees and the business realities we face as a company,” Boeing stated in a statement.
Jon Holden, the president of Local 751, has asked for guarantees for health care, retirement, and job security in addition to a “substantial” pay increase of at least 40%.
After eight years of providing workers with minimal cost-of-living help despite “massive inflation,” Holden has declared that a significant wage boost is necessary.
CEO of Boeing Dave Calhoun stated last month in a Senate hearing that employees “will definitely get a raise.”
The union is also asking Boeing to guarantee that the company would produce its next generation of aircraft in the Seattle area, which is anticipated to happen around 2035.
According to Holden, knowing that the next plane will be produced in the Northwest means “job security for the next 50 years.”
According to the IAM, discussions have mostly stagnated in recent weeks. In order to deliver a clear message to Boeing, the union is hoping for a sizable turnout on Wednesday.
The event will take place in Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners baseball team, which can accommodate up to 48,000 spectators. On Wednesday, the IAM is organizing a motorbike procession with over 800 vehicles.
The IAM states on the local website, “The goal is to show Boeing your solidarity.”
“The factory will be quiet,” the local reported, adding that it was sending a “message to take our proposals seriously and a reminder of what it would be like if our members choose to reject a substandard offer and vote to strike in September.”
Boeing announced that it would permit workers to arrive late or leave early on Wednesday in order to allow for “reasonable” travel time.
“We respect and support the right of our employees to take part in the July 17 vote,” stated Boeing. “Partial time away from work will be excused and not counted for attendance purposes.”
According to the IAM, the early strike authorization vote will provide union officials legal notice so they may get ready to give workers’ strike pay in the event that a stoppage is called.
Beginning in the third week of a strike, striking employees are entitled to $250 a week in pay.
Although it is seen to be more of a long shot, the IAM has also requested at least one seat on Boeing’s board of directors.
In addition to the workers in Washington, the 1,200 Boeing employees in Oregon who are part of the IAM’s W24 district will cast their votes on Wednesday.
The union wants to be permitted to negotiate on any modifications to quality management that could have an impact on the production system, given Boeing’s current problems.
“We never proposed those things in the past but it’s our reputation, it’s our jobs, it’s our livelihoods,” Holden stated.
