18,300 Machinists strike Boeing in three states

More than 18,000 Machinists who assemble commercial airplanes and some key components at Boeing plants in Washington, Oregon and Kansas walked off the job Sept. 2 after voting by an 86 percent margin to reject the company’s “last, best and final” and to strike.

Approximately 850 workers are members of Portland-based Machinists Lodge 63 employed at the Boeing plant at 19000 NE Sandy Blvd., Gresham. Another 16,500 co-workers are members of Machinists District Lodge 751 in the Everett area and 950 belong to District Lodge 70 in Wichita.

Key issues in the strike are Boeing’s failure to adequately increase pension formulas, higher health care costs, and a proposal that Machinists operate up to four machines simultaneously for an additional $1 per hour in wages.

Boeing maintains its offer is standard for the industry.

“Boeing machinists are leaders in the industry, and this contract does not reflect that. The economic and benefits package is less than what was offered in 2002,” said Bob Petroff, directing business representative of Portland-based Machinists District Lodge 24.

Three years ago — on the heels of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and a dramatic downturn in the economy — workers were forced to take a contract rife with concessions. The Machinists actually voted down the contract, but then failed to muster a two-thirds majority that the union’s constitution requires in order to strike.

“Financially, this is a far different company than it was three years ago,” Petroff said. “Profits have tripled and they handed a pension bonus of $22 million to their new CEO (James McNerney) when he took over in July.”

“This strike is not about economics, but a corporate strategy to break the workers who have built this company,” said Mark Blondin, president of District Lodge 751. “There is no reason for any takeaways in this round of bargaining, and the contract is filled with them. ”

Machinists last struck Boeing in 1995. That strike lasted 69 days and affected 32,000 employees.

Union officials and many pickets told the Northwest Labor Press they expect the strike to last at least 45 days.

One picket, who asked not to be identified, said some Boeing parts suppliers are backlogged and that the strike would afford them time to get caught up on their orders.

“Once we go back to work we’ll be offered all the overtime we want in order to catch the company back up,” the picket said.

Industry analysts estimate that the Chicago-based Boeing Co. will lose about $70 million a week for every week production is frozen. Boeing has said that it might have to close operations related to the aircraft production and lay off non-striking workers.

Employees at Boeing plants represented by other unions have “no strike, no lockout” language in their contracts, and thus are not honoring the Machinists picket lines — although officials from the Teamsters and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace say their members are supporting pickets with food, cash and other donations.

SPEEA is scheduled to enter contract negotiations with Boeing on Nov. 1. SPEEA’s contract expires Dec. 1 for Puget Sound area engineers and Dec. 5 for those in Wichita, Kan. Boeing sold its commercial operations in Wichita and Oklahoma earlier this year to Onex Corp., now operating as Spirit Aerosystems Inc.

Rank-and-file Machinists pointed to three top issues going into bargaining — pension, health insurance and job security — and Boeing refused to address any of them, union officials said. The top issues were:

• Pension: The $6 increase (to $66 a month for each year employed) is the lowest percentage increase since the plan was established in 1955.

• Health Care: Boeing proposed huge takeaways with monthly premiums nearly three times higher, as well as increased co-pays and deductibles.

• Boeing refused to offer any sort of job security language despite increased orders and production rates projected well beyond this contract, and instead offered language to eliminate more jobs.

There are takeaways throughout the offer, such as eliminating retiree medical for new hires, cutting Wichita out of the economic package and reducing medical benefits after layoff from six months to three months.

“These 18,000 men and women are in a very real sense fighting a fight for all working families,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

The strikers have chosen to make a stand for decent pensions and health benefits, and a stand against takeaways for future employees, Sweeney said. “In doing so, they and their families are making tremendous personal sacrifices.”

And yet, the personal hardship that striking Machinists face hasn’t quelled their commitment to community service. Many strikers have asked to volunteer for relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina victims. The union is exploring opportunities for them to do so.

At Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham on the day of the strike vote, members of Lodge 63 dispersed collection cans for donations to the hurricane victims. They collected $428.

“Your outpouring of compassion is a testament to the character of this membership; even in the midst of our strike you are willing to join together and help others who are facing tragedy and need help,” Blondin said.

IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger made an unexpected visit to the Gresham plant on Labor Day morning.

Buffenbarger said, “Machinists’ militancy rises in direct proportion to corporate greed and corruption. At Boeing, the only way to win a better life for our members is to strike. How long this strike lasts is anyone’s guess. But unless and until the Boeing Company improves their last offer significantly, the Machinists will be pounding the pavement.”

Picket lines have been up 24 hours a day since the strike began at 12:01 a.m. Sept. 2.

© Oregon Labor Press Publishing Co. Inc.