While Boeing did not specify what would be taken away from Thursday’s offer if it were to fail, Holden said that could mean cutting any number of gains, including canceling a commitment to build the next airplane in the Puget Sound region, backing away from a 38% wage increase or losing a 1% decrease in health care costs.
On Friday, some workers were heeding Holden’s warning. Sitting down for an interview with The Seattle Times, Holden had just finished a Zoom call with more than 500 members who questioned him closely about the new offer and his recommendation to accept it. He had told them about the risk of losing the earlier gains.
The response from those on the call, he said, “led me to believe … they’re looking to accept it.”
For sure, there are still Machinists unwilling to bend. Rob Davis, a 13-year Everett employee, said he’s still a no vote and dismissed the union leadership as “a finger puppet of Boeing.”
Andrew DeFreese, an equipment operator in Everett, said Friday he’s also sticking with his no vote. He wants to hold out for more paid time off and quicker steps to progress through the wage scales.
Always call these companies bluffs when you have the power of numbers/bodies.
Unfortunately, safety nets are so weak in this country that many of the strikers probably don’t feel financially safe extending the strike. Whatever they choose, I’m behind them, but there are definitely practical considerations here.
Union dues are supposed to go in part to a strike fund, to make sure that they can still pay bills.
strikers probably don’t feel financially safe extending the strike.
Leaders of Boeing’s aircraft machinists union are recommending striking members approve a new contract offer from the company that would raise average annual pay for the workers to nearly $120,000.
With the latest offer, the company proposes a 38% general wage increase over four years
If a 38% raise is $120k, then they’re currently averaging $87k/year.
If you’re making $87k/year – and that’s individual income, probably have a bunch of dual earners – you really should not be living paycheck-to-paycheck. That doesn’t even have to do with strikes, just should be maintaining an emergency fund.
“The next offer will be regressive.”
That’s not how negotiations work, unless the value of what you are negotiating for went down.
That was a dumb play.
It could go down though. The decision to move products away from that plant can be made and diminish the bartering power of everyone there in favor of more friendly negotiations at another facility.
There is a breaking point. It’s just intentionally hard to know exactly where it is.
Been waiting for the latest CEO to shoot his mouth off. Only took him a few months. Stay strong union brothers, you have the power.
That sort of threat simply demonstrates that Boeing is not negotiating in good faith.
We should nationalize Boeing
One of our former councilwomen here in Seattle wanted to nationalize it to make busses.
