(VOR News) – In the event that ongoing contract negotiations fail, tens of thousands of hourly Boeing employees were summoned to a vote in Seattle on Wednesday. It is expected that the vote will ratify a potential walkout.
“What can you do to get a good contract?” Local 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) poses this query on its website. “Attend strike sanction vote on July 17th!”
In the Seattle, Washington, region, Boeing employs more than 32,000 individuals, with approximately 30,000 of them employed at its facilities in Everett, where the 777 is manufactured, and in Renton, where the 737 is assembled. In the event of a strike, operations at both factories would cease.
The parties initiated negotiations on a new contract in March to replace a 16-year-old agreement. The agreement will conclude at midnight on September 12.
Union members are not permitted to view the proposed contract until Wednesday’s vote. If the contract is rejected by members, a second ballot would be required on September 12 in order to proceed with a strike.
Boeing says Wednesday’s vote is simply a “procedural” measure.
“We remain confident we can reach a deal that balances the needs of our employees and the business realities we face as a company,” according to a statement issued by Boeing.
In addition to a “substantial” pay increase of at least 40%, Jon Holden, the president of Local 751, has requested guarantees for health care, retirement, and job security.
Despite “massive inflation,” Holden has declared that a substantial wage increase is required after eight years of providing workers with minimal cost-of-living assistance.
In a Senate hearing last month, Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun declared that employees “will undoubtedly receive a raise.”
The union is also requesting that Boeing ensure the production of its next generation of aircraft in the Seattle area, which is expected to occur around 2035.
Holden maintains that the assurance of the next plane’s production in the Northwest guarantees “job security for the next 50 years.”
In recent weeks, discussions have largely stagnated, according to the IAM. The union is anticipating a substantial attendance on Wednesday in order to effectively communicate its message to Boeing.
The event will be held at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, the home of the Seattle Mariners baseball franchise. The stadium has the capacity to hold up to 48,000 spectators. The IAM is coordinating a motorcycle procession on Wednesday, which will feature more than 800 vehicles.
Boeing’s solidarity, according to the IAM’s local website, is the goal.
In its report, the local reported that the factory would remain silent, and that this was intended as a “message to take our proposals seriously and a reminder of the consequences of rejecting a substandard offer and voting to strike in September.”
Boeing declared that it would permit employees to arrive late or depart early on Wednesday to accommodate “reasonable” travel time.
“We respect and support the right of our employees to take part in the July 17 vote,” according to Boeing. “Partial time away from work will be excused and not counted for attendance purposes.”
The IAM has stated that the early strike authorization vote will give union officials legal notice to prepare for the payment of strike pay to workers in the event of a cessation.
Striking employees are entitled to $250 per week in pay from the third week of a strike.
The IAM has also requested at least one seat on Boeing’s board of directors, despite the fact that it is considered a long chance.
On Wednesday, the 1,200 Boeing employees in Oregon who are part of the IAM’s W24 district will vote, in addition to the workers in Washington.
Given Boeing’s current problems, the union is seeking permission to negotiate any changes to quality management that could potentially affect the production system.
“We never proposed those things in the past but it’s our reputation, it’s our jobs, it’s our livelihoods,” Holden asserted.
SOURCE: UN
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