777X In Danger: Machinists Reject Boeing Contract

[Divernan]

Source: KUOW Puget Sound/Seattle

Boeing’s machinists have rejected the company’s proposed contract, with 67 percent of union members opposed.

Members said they are calling the aerospace giant’s bluff – they expect the company to renegotiate the contract deal instead of building the 777X jet somewhere else. At least 20,000 area Boeing jobs are at stake. The vote, which was closely watched by state lawmakers, was about more than just compensation for the 31,000 machinists. Boeing had repeatedly threatened that it would move production of the 777X out of state if the machinists didn't approve the contract.

Under the proposed eight-year contract, Boeing would stop contributing to the machinists’ pensions in 2016, and workers’ health care costs would increase. If the machinists had approved the contract, they would have received a $10,000 bonus by the holidays.

Whether the company was bluffing ahead of the vote was difficult to gauge. The machinists in the Puget Sound region are highly skilled, a fact highlighted by the delays and technical problems that turned the 787 Dreamliner – built in South Carolina – into a public relations nightmare.




Read more: http://kuow.org/post/777x-danger-machinists-reject-boeing-contract

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I'm proud of the union members who refused individual bribes/"bonuses" of $10,000 each to vote against a contract which stripped them of their pensions & jacked up health care costs. Boeing is in deep shit in the operation it moved to South Carolina with masses of untrained, unskilled workers, costs overrides, canceled contracts, etc.

Airbus is beating Boeing's ass in recent sales and is considering opening an operation in Washington state to take advantage of the wealth of experienced workers shafted by Boeing.
http://www.kplu.org/post/will-airbus-build-engineering-center-washington-state

[bahrbearian]

1. I'm glad they rejected the contract.

Giving Tax break to giant mega corps on the back of the people is not right , Boeing has held Seattle hostage too long. If they can build it better and cheaper somewhere else, then go for it. But the 787 proved them wrong. Now the Machinist will be hated by most. Oh and Fuck Inslee,

[Blue_Tires]

9. +1

[juajen]

2. This is how it begins.

So, the billions in tax breaks weren't enough? I hate "right to work" states, which is an euphemism for union breaking and cheaply made goods. Breaking the middle class is what Boeing is trying to do by threatening to go to another state, like South Carolina. The state of Washington has been very good to them, but, you know, they have to keep the 1% happy.

[bahrbearian]

3. So I suppose we get to keep Inslee's gas Tax.

I wonder if he will give the money to Microsoft or maybe now Airbus.

[mtasselin]

4. Good Luck

Good Luck & Stand your Ground. We need an industry that will fight these bastards to the end.

[Diremoon]

5. Attack on the middle class

Jim McNerney is part of the group that has climbed the ladders through their ruthlessness and lack of morals to be the board members and CEO's of America's companies. His short sighted and ill conceived plans will strip Boeing of its talent, but line his pocket.
I observed him at GE, and there is not a decent thing about him. I guess he was a jerk before he got to GE, but he honed that to a fine skill under the master himself, Neutron Jack. I am not of the impression that anything except making himself richer has any meaning to him, but the workers are the ones who will suffer. Just one of the many new breed of corporate leaders that are gutting the country.

[rdking647]

6. what happens is boeing decides to move production out of state?????

i know they threatened but i dont know the logistics of where they build planes...

what if they decide the risk is worth it. then you have 20k highly paid machinists out of a job.

[Diremoon]

8. Moving out

I do not doubt that McNerney is serious about moving the jobs out. Many highly skilled union employees would lose their jobs. Boeing will continue to make planes with a new feature: they randomly fall from the sky. Boeing sales and stock will plummet, and the major executives and board members will walk away with millions.

[mountain grammy]

7. I am also proud of the IAM for standing up to Boeing.

About 20 years ago my husband was an IAM aircraft mechanic in Denver working for United Express. United demanded the contract be opened for pay cuts or, "we're sorry, we'll just have to cut all your jobs".. you know the drill. As long time airline employees we were accustomed to the roller coaster ride. The CEO of United at the time (Wolf) had just increased his compensation to $7million/year (remember that was 20 years ago.) The mechanics were scared. Many of our friends had lost jobs and homes in the late 80's after being trickled on by our new economic model brought to us by St. Reagan.
My husband and a few others got militant. To hell with United. The writing's on the wall, we will lose in the end. Right now we hold on to our pride and get as much as we can as long as we can. They did, and they held on another dozen years.
In the end, the corporation almost always wins, but if workers stick together they can persevere.

[montanacowboy]

10. Good for the Union

how much more are they asked to give back time after time and Jay Inslee who has turned into a corporate lackey for Boeing.

Hey, let them go where the workforce is unskilled - see how well that worked out for the Dreamliner?

Make dangerous and inferior planes with unskilled cheap labor in red states

May their stock hit bottom