- More than 30,000 Boeing workers, members of the company’s biggest unionized group, were set to strike Friday after staff rejected a new labor contract and approved a strike with a 96% vote.
- The work stoppage will halt production of most of the company’s aircraft, including its best-selling 737 Max.
- The strike is another costly blow to the company trying to increase output and improve its reputation.
The contract vs losses from the strike is about ~1 billion to pay the desired contract or 1.5B to just literally do nothing. I imagine Boeing will either do the usual maneuver, which is let them strike for two months and then, when the workers are softened by the cost of the strike (especially with the cost of living in the northwest), make a minor concession and get something very similar to the original contract they offered.
Alternatively, they can pull the manufacturing plans for their newer models away from union shops and expand their non-union shops. It was the case already that non-union shops, specifically in North Carolina, were handling contracts for the newer models. They said they’d move some of those contracts to union shops in the PNW, but if they were feeling like it, they could just double down on the movement to non union shops and turn the strike into a lockout by management (a “reverse strike”), retain who decides to stay at a lesser contract, and just begin a long-term movement away from their PNW operations.
Basically, I’m unsure (but I’m actually not sure that’s not rhetorical) that the union has enough practical, concrete leverage to get what they want. Since boeing is already hemorrhaging cash, now may be the time for them to pivot on how and where they allocate their labor costs. I wish the strikers luck though, their demands seem reasonable to me.
The execs created this problem, wouldn’t let the engineers do their jobs correctly, and ran the company like a bunch of hedge fund managers. I’m all for the workers in this case. Boeing has no ground to stand on. I’m glad that 96% of employees realize that.
Good. If these conditions were acceptable, the union rank-and-file would accept them. I would respect the union members’ choice whether they were to accept or reject this agreement.
When wages are at levels where McDonald’s can poach these workers, this offer definitely appears like a pittance. Try harder Boeing, and you got this, bargaining team.
How long until Biden orders them back to work to save the only domestic manufacturer of commercial airliners?
How long until a union continues a strike after they’ve lost the job protections of striking workers?
Maybe this one will fly. These specialized workers would take many years to replace. Bailouts don’t matter when there’s no one else qualified.
They offered them a decent wage upgrade and they still said no, so you know the conditions are the issue not just the money. If i were forced to make death machines that keep falling apart, i wouldnt give a fuck about some little offer like that either.
They asked for wages to be adjusted for inflation since the last wage increase. Boeing’s counter was half. They deserve much more than they ask for. I applaud them for demanding what they’re due.
Yeah maybe my comment sounded kind of negative towards the workers. I just wanted to say that you cant solve all your problems with money and that they didnt/shouldnt allow the management to silence them with it.
At least we know they all can’t commit suicide all at once!
Maybe not suicide, but what if there was tragic (totally not suspicious) Boeing plane crash with many key union members on board. Then victim blame them for not having enough staff left to enforce safety or assist with crash investigations. Conspiracy!
/s?