Boeing Machinists angry, hopeful about strike: Machinists say they're ready for a long one

Sep 07, 2008 (The News Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune News Service via COMTEX) -- BA | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Sep. 7--Allen van Houck's shift at The Boeing Co.'s Renton plant ended promptly at midnight Friday. One minute later, he and 27,000 other union Machinists went on strike. And the 52-year-old team lead inspector from Renton isn't sure when he'll return to work.

"I was saddened. It really bothered me walking out like that," Houck said Saturday. "The mood on the floor wasn't happy with Boeing's offer. I hope the executives don't say this was a surprise. How could they not know?

"Look, we don't want to strike. We'd all rather be working."

The strike follows the collapse of last-minute negotiations Friday between the company and union representatives in Orlando, Fla. It halts all commercial airline production at the Renton and Everett assembly plants as well as parts production in Auburn and Frederickson. Plants in Portland and Wichita, Kan., are also affected.

About 20 union members and supporters held signs near the gate of the aerospace corporation's largely empty Renton plant by midmorning Saturday. Drivers -- including a few in Boeing security cars -- honked horns as they passed by.

Picketers said the response from the community has been largely positive.

"It's encouraging. Absolutely, it is," said Renton's Linda Herrmann, 53, who works as a sealer.

The union rejected Boeing's latest contract offer Wednesday, but leaders agreed to hold off striking for 48 hours while both sides met with a federal mediator. Talks were unsuccessful, and at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, workers began picketing.

Connie Kelliher, communications director of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District Lodge 751, said no one issue precipitated the rejection of Boeing's contract offer. She said the areas of dispute include job security and the union's ability to challenge subcontracting; the role of vendors in construction; changes in medical benefits; entry-level wages; and pension plan changes, including survivor benefits.

"The whole contract was riddled with subtle language changes that were takeaways," Kelliher said. "Change a word here, and it reduces the benefit or promotional opportunity. And all this comes amid record profits. Boeing has almost an eight-year backlog. There's no reason why no one involved should feel secure with a three-year agreement."

Boeing spokesman Chris Villiers said Boeing believes its contract offer is a good deal for the union.

"We put in an offer that had raises every year, a big jump in pension, outstanding health care," he said. "You'd have to ask the union why they turned it down."

Both sides said they're open to further negotiations. No talks are scheduled.

The burn barrel outside the front gate of Boeing's plant in Frederickson was still smoldering Saturday afternoon as striking Machinists waved picket signs at drivers on Canyon Road.

"Fight for your rights," yelled one man as he drove by.

Horns blared almost constantly, making conversations difficult. Another driver pulled over and handed the strikers a bag of ice cream bars. The nearby Caveman Coffee, along with KISW Radio, was supplying coffee.

The mood was upbeat among the more than 20 Machinists, some with their spouses and children, who stood in the warm sun and smiled at their supporters. No one knew how long paychecks wouldn't be coming.

"I guess it's all up to the company," said Ken Ruether, 47, of Eatonville, who's worked at Boeing 23 years, 16 of them at Frederickson. "We're hoping on the warmest September on record. We're optimistic. We have every reason to believe the company will do the right thing."

Ruether was nearing the end of his first eight-hour shift as picket captain at Frederickson. Many of the picketers were there not because they were assigned by the union. They simply showed up.

"It's more like a family gathering," Ruether said.

John Drasher, 62, of Puyallup works at the company's delivery center at Boeing Field in Seattle. After 22 years with the company, he's getting ready to retire.

"I have to (strike) for the people who come up behind me," he said, adding that this was his fourth strike against the company, dating back to 1989.

Drasher said the last two contracts had no wage increases and that now when the company is making money, company officials want to raise medical insurance deductibles and take away survivor benefits for spouses.

What bothers Greg Gillispie, 56, of Graham is "what the company is taking away." Wages aren't as big an issue, he said, as raised medical insurance deductibles and low wages for many new hires.

Tom Lomas, 48, of Graham said the contract should have no takeaways at all, not with the money the company is making. The 19-year veteran said he's ready for a long strike if needed.

"I've got at least four months in the kitty I've saved," he said.

Job security is important to Mike Wells, 60, who works at Frederickson and is retiring in January after 30 years with the company. He said outsourcing means fewer jobs for union members. The expired contract includes language that the company must check with the union to see if its members can handle a job before it's sent elsewhere.

"That language is gone" in the new offer, Wells said.

Bob Howitz, 63, a maintenance electronics technician from Auburn, has been through six strikes in his 35 years with Boeing. He doesn't think this one will end soon.

"I'd give it a minimum of a month," Howitz said. "They're pretty far apart, and I don't see a recognition of, ' ... we screwed up.' None of that is coming through anywhere, and it'll be a while before any of that changes."

Mike Wilson, a 56-year-old electronics calibration technician from Sumner, had a different take on it.

"It'll last as long as Boeing wants it to last," he said.

Scott Fontaine: 253-320-4758

Mike Archbold: 253-597-8692

Where the sides stand

What Boeing offered: Boeing's last contract offer to Machinists included a pay raise of 11 percent over the life of the contract and increased pension benefits. Under the contract, the average union member would earn roughly $65,000 a year before overtime, which averages $10,000 or more a year.

What the union wanted: The union was asking for pay raises of at least 13 percent over three years and a larger pension amount, and for workers to not have to pay more for health care.

If the strike goes on for more than two weeks, union members will begin drawing $150 a week in strike pay. The typical pay for a union member is $27 an hour -- about $1,080 a week or $56,000 a year before overtime and bonuses. previous Machinist strikes at Boeing

1948: 140 days

1965: 19 days

1977: 45 days

1989: 48 days

1995: 69 days

2005: 28 days

Source: News Tribune archives

To see more of The News Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.TheNewsTribune.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

More News:   Market Updates | Stock Alerts | All Trading News | Stock Index