IAM Members Rally for New Contract at Boeing

IAM members showed support for their negotiators with a rally in Seattle, Washington,
that included a thunderous procession of more than 600 motorcycles that stretched for 
nearly a mile near the site of the talks.

Several thousand IAM members and their families turned out on August 24 in SeaTac, WA, to send a strong message to the Boeing Company that “It’s Our Time, This Time,” as negotiations for a new agreement moved into the final stages.
 
The roar of more than 600 motorcycles ridden by members greeted the Main Table negotiators, Subcommittees, Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin; District 751 President Tom Wroblewski; District 70 President Steve Rooney and District 24 President Bob Petroff as they exited the hotel where the negotiations are taking place. The motorcade led the way for the traditional march to nearby Angle Lake for a rally and informational update. Chanting, fist-pumping, sign-waving union members filled the streets, stretching the entire length of the half-mile route.
 
"We're miles apart on economics and pension," said IAM Aerospace Coordinator Mark Blondin (right) to the crowd gathered at the lake. “There are still three strike issues on the table – pension, retiree medical and job security. Until Boeing gets serious about these issues and negotiations, a strike is looming over this company.”

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. To see video of the rally visit here.