Brian Bryant, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) international president, joined picket lines this week as some 33,000 Boeing workers went on strike in the Pacific Northwest.
Boeing workers walked off the job at midnight on Sept. 12 after more than 94% of union members rejected a tentative contract offer by the company.
After joining several picket lines in Washington and Oregon on Wednesday and Thursday, Bryant told FreightWaves in a phone interview that union members were resolved to achieve fair pay and better benefits.
“The beginning of this week we wanted to visit with many of our members on the picket lines all the way from Everett [Washington], all the way down here to Portland to let them know they have the complete support of their union, the 600,000 active and retired IAM members both in the United States and Canada,” Bryant said. “… [W]hat it’s really about is, they’ve had 10 years of stagnant wages, 10 years where they’ve lost their pension, 10 years of continual increases in their health insurance. … [T]he workers here have just said enough is enough. We’ve got to go, we’ve got to get a contract that truly respects us and recognizes the value that we do for the Boeing Company.”
Bryant said support for the strike has been overwhelming.
“We’ve talked to people who have 45 years in this plant, and we’ve talked to people that just started two months ago, and they’re all on the same page,” he said.
Bryant said that while Boeing does offer a 401(k) matching program, most workers can’t contribute to retirement because their wages aren’t high enough.
“They can’t afford both their mortgages, the rent payments, the vehicle payments, the gas, the fuel to get to work, the food to feed them and their families and their other utilities,” he said. “By the time that’s all done, they don’t have enough income to be able to even participate in the 401(k). It’s on Boeing; they’ve got to correct that. What they did 10 years ago with the pension was just ridiculous and uncalled for, but they’ve got to move forward. They’ve got to do something that gives people income security when they retire.”
Bryant blasted Boeing’s announcement of furloughs in response to the strikes.
“If they want to get serious about what they’re spending on executive salaries and if they’re overstaffed, they could have been dealing with that all [along],” Bryant said. “It’s a cheap shot to make it look like they’re blaming the workers out here on strike because it’s their fault. Look, the workers are on strike here. None of Boeing’s problems have anything to do with these workers. In fact, all of the things that are wrong with Boeing right now are all attributed to bad decisions from corporate … . They’re the ones that have made the bad decisions that are putting Boeing in the position that they’re in. And it’s unfortunate that they’re trying to make this look like it’s the union’s fault. It’s just smoke and mirrors.”
He said it will take a fair contract to resolve this strike, and that members are resolved to wait as long as necessary to get that.
“I’m absolutely amazed and impressed with the solidarity and the commitment that our members of the Boeing workers have made to improve their situation,” Bryant said. “This isn’t only happening with the Boeing Company. This strike is being followed all across – not just the U.S. – but in Canada also. This is being followed because the same thing that is happening and has happened to these workers here is happening at many different corporations.”
Boeing did not immediately respond to FreightWaves’ request for comment.
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