Outside pressure on Machinists at Boeing is ‘disrespectful’
(Dec. 16, 2013) — The following statement by Jeff Johnson, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, was issued this morning:
Nobody wants Boeing to produce the 777x and the composite wing in Washington state more than the rank-and-file members and the local leadership of the IAM District Council 751. This is their work. They want to continue doing this work. No one can do it better than they can. Similarly, no one is in a better position to evaluate whether a contract proposal is worthy of being brought before the membership for consideration than the machinists themselves and their elected leaders.
While Governor Jay Inslee and Congressman Rick Larsen are certainly entitled to their opinions about Boeing’s proposal, putting their opinions in a press statement is absolutely disrespectful to the Machinists and to the labor movement. That they expressed their views so publicly and so supportively of the company’s position reveals how little they understand and respect the collective bargaining process and the generations of sacrifice made by machinists to make this company prosperous.
Machinists were forced to take a soul and gut wrenching vote a couple of weeks ago that asked family members to vote against hard-fought-for benefits and values for which past generations of family and neighbors had sacrificed, and to vote against passing these benefits and values to current and future family members and neighbors. Like true and smart working class heroes they could not do this. The machinists stood up bravely and proudly for the middle class. If we expect things to change for the better in this country then more of us need to stand up as well.
Should the Boeing Corporation choose to locate production of the 777x any place other than Washington State, the responsibility and the ultimately the blame for that decision can only be placed with the company’s desire to break the community standards that the machinists have sacrificed and collectively bargained for over the decades.
Short URL: https://www.thestand.org/?p=28712
Posted by David Groves
on Dec 16 2013. Filed under LOCAL.
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3 Comments for “Outside pressure on Machinists at Boeing is ‘disrespectful’”
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Well said Jeff. It sickens me to see the Democrats in this State bend over and kiss Boeing’s ass to give them whatever they want in our state’s race to the bottom to join the South. I agree, if Boeing decides to go elsewhere, it has nothing to do with the Machinists, it has to do with the greed at the top, who, by the way, are still getting millions in bonuses and retirement benefits despite making decisions with the Dreamliner that cost the company dearly.
Too bad the governor doesn’t follow the state constitution, i.e., “It’s the paramount duty of the Washington State Legislature to fully fund the public schools,” The business democrats are always looking for ways to help their business contributors. Thanks Jeff for your comments supporting the Machinists. I think a lot of people forget, In 2003 or 04 the legislature gave Boeing $4 billion dollars, and they built a huge structure in South Carolina, and outsourced the 787, and when it came back, the Machinists had to put it back together. It was like the Humpty Dumpty cracked egg, but they made it fit. Good job Jeff!
Too many Trolls out there making the union look bad. Boeing needs to remember what happened with the 757. what about the 787 ?? were are the best airplane mechanics ? Washingtion State…