‘This is our fight, and our decision’

Machinists decline to vote on contract offer that Boeing failed to negotiate with union bargaining team

SEATTLE, WA (September 24, 2024) — Machinists will not vote on the contract offer abruptly delivered by Boeing on Monday morning. Per the union, this offer was not negotiated with the bargaining team; moreover, Boeing has refused to engage in negotiations since the last meeting with the federal mediator on September 18. Those talks broke down after Boeing refused to make an offer that addressed the priorities of membership, per IAM District 751.

Photo: Machinists International

Boeing’s offer, which made some wage and benefit improvements that still fell far short of worker demands, included a company-set deadline for voting — Friday, September 27 by 11:59pm. As IAM 751 points out in a written statement, the boss doesn’t decide if or when union members vote on contract offers; the workers do.

Still, the Machinists are committed to a good-faith bargaining process. The union reports they contacted Boeing to reengage in negotiations, but “the company has refused to meet for further discussion,” IAM 751 said. “Therefore, we will not be voting on the 27th.”

Further, the union shares that even if they were able to reach a negotiated offer with the company, Boeing’s artificially tight deadline doesn’t allow enough time for contract details to be communicated to members or for the union to stand up voting infrastructure for 33,000 workers across state lines.

In effect, Boeing offered a deal yesterday that was never negotiated with the union, that failed to meet workers’ needs, and that the workers wouldn’t have been able to vote on anyway.

Photo: WSLC, AFL-CIO

This cynical tactic calls into question Boeing’s commitment to bargaining in good faith with the workers whose labor produces the company’s profits. As Boeing’s C-suite plays games, Machinists continue to hold the line in Washington and Oregon with no sign of backing down.

“They have severely underestimated the strength of our unity,” said IAM 751. “This is our fight and our decision to make.”

You can support the Machinists strike by joining a strike line, volunteering for picket support, or donating supplies. More details: How to support striking Machinists