Our Members have always been proud of their work and the products we build at Boeing. It's why the workforce is so passionate about these negotiations. We respect the products and the company we have built. What we do on the job defines who we are - these crafts are our legacy. When a plane leaves the factory, it's our reputation on the lines. That's why we expend our energy marching on the shop floor, using our right to participate in concerted activities to loudly tell the company that we are the solution. That is also why we go through the arduous process of bargaining.
Today, we passed counterproposals for Facilities Maintenance Subcontracting (LOU 2), Work Placement (LOU 42), and 777X Work Placement (LOU 43), ensuring work stays in Puget Sound and Portland. We received counterproposals from the company on health care (Attachment A and B) and wages (Article 6). While they made some minor concessions, we still do not see eye-to-eye on wages.
It is their workforce - our Members - who prioritized wages as one of the most critical issues for this Union committee to address. Let us be clear: we are the Membership's voice at the table. We negotiate based on their priorities and concerns. We've been given a mandate from the shop floor on what we need to focus on. One issue does not come at the expense of another - but higher wages remain a critical component in these negotiations.
No worker will soon forget it's been ten years, not three or four since we last negotiated the full agreement. During that time, our Members had little to no input into the company's decisions. Workers' voices were often ignored when quality issues, like removing inspections, came to light. Workers had no vote when the company spent money on stock buybacks and CEO salary increases. No one asked us what they thought when the company moved work away or tried to subcontract our jobs.
Today, IAM 751 and W24 Members have a voice, and they are making sure it resonates across Puget Sound and Portland. We aren't going to pay for the company's mistakes, again. We just want a reasonable share of that wealth we helped create.
In Unity,
Your IAM District 751 and District W24 Negotiating Committee
Comments