64 percent of members of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and Aerospace Workers voted against accepting Boeing’s latest contract offer. The latest offer would see pay raises of 35% over four years, while the union initially demanded 40% pay increases over three years. According to Boeing, the average annual pay for machinists is currently $75,608.
Boeing’s employees say that a “sticking point” in remaining at the picket lines is the company’s refusal to restore a pension plan that was frozen ten years ago.
“I have put more time in this place than I was ever required to. I have literally blood, sweat and tears from working at this company,” a 37-year-old worker said. “I’m looking at working until I’m 70 because I have this possibility that I might not get to retire based on what’s happening in the market.”
“The pension should have been the top priority. We all said that was our top priority, along with wage,” said Larry Best, a 38-year employee at Boeing, “Now is the prime opportunity in a prime time to get our pension back, and we all need to stay out and dig our heels in.”
“After 10 years of sacrifices, we still have ground to make up, and we’re hopeful to do so by resuming negotiations promptly,” Jon Holden, head of the IAM, said Wednesday evening. “This is workplace democracy — and also clear evidence that there are consequences when a company mistreats its workers year after year.”
CEO of Boeing, Kelly Ortberg said that Boeing needs “a fundamental culture change.”
Ortberg wants to “reset” management’s relationships “so we don’t become so disconnected in the future.” He said company executives must “prevent the festering of issues and work better together to identify, fix, and understand root cause.”
“First and foremost on everybody’s mind today is ending the IAM strike,” Ortberg concluded, “We have been feverishly working to find a solution that works for the company and meets employees’ needs.”
The strike by 33,000 workers at Boeing has now lasted six weeks.
By CEO NA Editorial Staff
