Round-the-Clock Bargaining Begins at Boeing

IAM negotiators entered the Doubletree Hotel in SeaTac, WA, today for the start of traditional round-the-clock bargaining with representatives of the Boeing Company. At stake is a new contract covering nearly 27,000 Machinists in Washington state, Oregon, Kansas and California. All bargaining subcommittees and Main Table negotiators expect to meet throughout the day and into the evening.
The talks are taking place in the shadow of a powerful message sent to the company in July, when members voted by an overwhelming 99 percent margin to grant strike sanction authority to their Negotiating Committee.

“Boeing needs to understand that nobody gets left behind in the Machinists union,” said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin, who is leading the IAM Bargaining Committee. “We won’t sell out the new hires and we won’t allow Boeing to carve out any location under this agreement.” 

Boeing is once again proposing to separate Wichita from the national agreement, in addition to eliminating traditional pension plans and retiree medical benefits for new workers, issues that led to a strike in 2005.  Job security is also a key issue for IAM negotiators.

Carrying signs that declared, "It's Our Time This Time," thousands of IAM members marched last week through the Everett, WA, factory, starting at the 787 production line making their way past the 777 and 747 assembly lines and exiting the factory near the 767 line. Similar demonstrations have occurred at all locations, sending a loud and clear message to Boeing that IAM members are determined to achieve an equitable agreement.

IAM members in the Puget Sound area, Portland, OR, Wichita, KS and Edwards Air Force Base, CA will vote Sept. 3 on the company’s so-called “last and best” offer.

Visit http://www.iam751.org/contract08.htm for more information about IAM-Boeing negotiations.