The IAM rank-and-file voted 94% in favor of rejecting the contract, and 96% in favor of a strike. The vote participation was also astonishingly high, with over 32,000 votes being cast.

The vote occurred under an already tense atmosphere amongst Boeings employees as tens of thousands of IAM-represented machinists voted almost unanimously to sanction a strike earlier this year in T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

The rejected TA sparked widespread controversy among IAM machinists, with many complaining about Boeing lowballing the IAM membership with a wage increase counteroffer of 25% instead of the 40% that was initially discussed. Another major issue for IAM membership is the reinstatement of a pension plan eliminated in 2014, which is not mentioned in the TA. Layoffs, a delegation of work to Boeing’s only non-union factory, and mass distrust of Boeing’s capabilities to compensate its workers have also left a foul taste in the mouths of IAM rank-and-file members.

The Boeing corporation seemed desperate to avoid the strike leading up to the TA, with Boeing’s computer screensavers being changed to an image that attempted to persuade IAM members to vote yes.

Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s new CEO, in a panic-fueled public statement, stated “I know the reaction to our tentative agreement with the IAM has been passionate… I understand and respect that passion, but I ask you not to sacrifice the opportunity to secure our future together, because of the frustrations of the past.”

Jon Holden, President of IAM Local 751, stated, “We will be back at the table whenever we can get there to drive forward on the issues our members say are important.”

The post IAM Machinists Strike After Underwhelming Tentative Agreement Proposal first appeared on Labor Today.

On Wednesday, July 17^th, tens of thousands of IAM-represented workers from IAM District 751 convened at T-Mobile Park in Seattle to hold the vote. The current union-negotiated contract will expire September 12^th, with the recent vote authorizing a potential strike.

After 16 years since IAM District 751 had last negotiated with Boeing, both District 751 and District W24 (representing machinists in Portland, OR) are pursuing more substantial employee benefits, including:

• Increasing wages by at least 40 percent over three to four years.
• Quality and safety measures that restore and grow quality control personnel and oversight of aircraft manufacturing.
• Restoring retirement security by reinstating the defined-benefit pension plan the company took away in 2014.
• Lowering out-of-pocket healthcare costs.
• Easing mandatory overtime and other work rules that negatively impact work-life balance.
• Ensuring that Boeing’s next airplane is built in the Puget Sound region.

IAM International President Brian Bryant, IAM Western Territory General Vice President Gary R. Allen, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, and District 751 President and Directing Business Representative Jon Holden spoke at the T-Mobile Park convention to fuel support for the ongoing negotiation process.

At the convention, the President of IAM District 751 and Directing Business Representative Jon Holden stated: “We want the company to take our proposals seriously and bargain earnestly. We don’t want to strike—but we’re ready and willing to do so to bring home the best aerospace contract our members have ever seen. We aren’t just fighting for ourselves; we are fighting for everyone. From our family members to the flying public, we want everyone to be proud of this company once again. We are the watchdog with a unique opportunity to make things better for all.”

The post Thousands of Machinists Rally in Seattle, Overwhelmingly Vote to Strike first appeared on Labor Today.