Once again, a union fight has raised standards for non-union workers too. Even as it’s laying off thousands of engineers and managers, Boeing gave a 9% wage increase and a $12,000 retention bonus to production employees at its non-union assembly plant in South Carolina. That bonus is identical to the return-to-work ratification bonus that 33,000 Machinists union members won in November after a 54-day strike. Boeing’s union machinists also won an immediate 13% raise, followed by others that will total 43.65% when compounded over the four-year term of their new contract.
In the weeks and months ahead, Machinists members will reach out to the South Carolina workers to talk about why they just got that raise and bonus, and why they may be still better off if they join the union, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) President Brian Bryant said in a Dec. 13 press statement.
Boeing announced Dec. 12 that it plans to invest $1 billion in infrastructure upgrades and create 500 new jobs over the next five years at its two plants in North Charleston, South Carolina. That’s where about 7,800 non-union workers assemble Boeing’s 787 “Dreamliner” aircraft. The South Carolina operations have lately been producing fewer than five planes per month, and the upgrades would enable them to increase to 10 per month by 2026.
Used to work at Boeing SC, when the IAM first tried to push the union. Here are a some helpful tips. 1st I am 6’1 230 and lift weights, with that said the 2 union reps that came to my house when I wasn’t there were both bigger than me and trying to talk to my 5’2 wife. She did not feel safe opening the door and talking to 2 big dudes she didn’t know, so how about not trying that again with people. 2nd when you do talk people down there, how about taking their concerns against a union to heart and not be combative or overly pushy. We do not like that, we are the nicest people around, but do not talk to us like we are dumb because of our accents, or because yall have it all figured out it and we’re just dumb rednecks. 3rd, I worked the flightline, I have my A&p, and went to school to get it. Don’t send union reps that don’t understand what someone does and what they did to get to that point to talk to them. The guys that came to talk to me didn’t even understand the work and skills I had as a flightline mechanic and A&P mechanic. I could keep going, but the main take away is actually do some planning this time. Know who you’re talking to and what they do. You send people out to try and convince people to sign a card don’t talk down to them or act like you better because you worked at a place that’s been building planes for decades compared to North Charleston. The people sent down to talk to us were so snooty and rude it wasn’t even funny. I signed a card and voted yes when we had the vote, only because I understand what the union could bring to us. So take the advice or don’t, I really don’t care at this point because I no longer work there. This is just my advice if you’re serious about trying to unionize North Charleston.
Probably because some of yall don’t use common sense to look an see how a union can get you protected.
Instead, you’re caught up in the ways of being manipulated by companies to do what they say do instead of having a union fight for you, but since you’re raised up in the mentality of union is working against you instead of for you and then you being a yes ma’am, and no sir person instead of using your own Bargaining chips because in the non-union corporation or company you have no say so. They can fire you at Will if you come to work looking for me and they don’t like you they can fire you and there’s nothing you can do about it whereas with a union, they will stop that but that’s your call .
This is great news and sets a notable standard for frontline employees across the nation in the realm of equitable compensation.
#StillRootingForBoeing
Its a union busting tactic.
I filed my first grievance after 28 years! Never had a issue while working at McDonell Douglas, Boeing, Goodrich/UTC I learned the hard way how important it is to belong to the Union. I learned a lot about my contract labor law.