Machinists at Boeing plants authorize strike in big way

By a margin of 98 percent to 2 percent, Machinists at three big locals at Boeing Company voted July 9 to authorize a strike. In Portland, members of Lodge 63 met at the Mt. Hood Community College football stadium to cast ballots.

The vote is a preliminary move designed to show solidarity in talks, which began June 25 in Wichita, Kansas. Boeing employs 25,000-26,000 Machinists members in Seattle, Portland and Wichita.

Daily bargaining starts Aug. 5, with round-the-clock talks starting Aug. 15. When Boeing delivers its last offer Aug. 29, the Machinists will vote on it and on whether to actually strike when the old pact expires at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 2. The final strike vote requires a two-thirds majority to proceed.

Job security, pensions and health care are the top issues, as they were when Boeing forced Machinists into a 69-day strike in 1995.

Machinists District Lodge 70 President Steve Rooney told members of Local Lodge 834 in Wichita on July 9 that two years ago, Boeing decided to ignore contract language about sub-contracting and send thousands of jobs - as well as planes -overseas.

"So we're going to come in and strengthen that language, so that we don't get put back into this position again. It's not important how much you make an hour if you don't have a job to go back to," he said, to cheers. �

Home | About