Posted on 09/01/2005 8:38:22 PM PDT by anymouse
Boeing Co. Machinists voted Thursday to strike as union members overwhelmingly rejected a three-year contract proposal their leaders had deemed "insulting." Union members voted 86 percent in favor of a strike beginning at 12:01 a.m. local time Friday. Under union rules, the contract would have been automatically ratified -- and workers would have stayed on the job -- unless two-thirds of the union members voted to strike.
The strike will affect about 18,400 Machinists who assemble Boeing's commercial airplanes and some key components in the Seattle area, Gresham, Ore., and Wichita, Kan.
Company officials said earlier in the week that a strike would be devastating, forcing the company to slowly shut down commercial airplane production.
Leaders of the Seattle-based Machinists Lodge 751 had urged its members to "reject this insulting Boeing proposal," saying it fell woefully short on top issues including pension payments and increased health care costs. District Lodge 751 is negotiating for employees in all three states, although some terms differ based on location.
Chicago-based Boeing has defended its retirement proposal as one of the best in the industry, and the company said that despite some medical-cost increases it would continue to shoulder the bulk of workers' health care costs.
The union last went on strike in 1995, when workers walked out for 69 days.
Would you change the way you voted on an issue that will effect the rest of your career becasue of a weather event 2000 miles away?
Die, unions, DIE, you lazy, greedy, corrupt bastards!
Then they can go find other jobs. F them. F unions.
Sounds like it was still an increase, with raises and bonuses to boot. I'm not sure I've heard of any job that didn't have some period of flat or declining wages in a 50 year period.
I wouldn't be stupid enough to chain myself to an orginization that takes money and gives it to a political party that screws me to begin with.
Fine, since pay isn't an issue, then they should visit their financial planner and max out their IRAs and Health Savings Accounts.
Leave the rest of us alone.
Good for you my friend.
what are these details?
Are they actually making them pay a portion of their own healthcare now...and contribute to their own pension...
Welcome to my world.
What pricks.
I am pretty much as anti-union as anybody but there is a matter of degree here. I have watched teachers unions in this state go on illegal strikes (that cost them nothing becasue they always get to make it up) becasue they weren't the highest paid teachers in the state. These guys are not asking for the moon.
There have been previous contracts where they did ask for the moon and did strike over what was a good contract. This is not a good contract. It does not protect their jobs in any way. The company slashed the union guys after 9/11 with heartless glee. Now that things are looking up a little they could have offered a more neutral contract.
The previous contract was a major win for the company they got the union to actually reject the contract but by union by-laws they need a 2/3 majority to strike and they didn't get that. So you have a contract that more than half of the people rejected. And yet the company uses all these buzz words like"world class contract" etc.
Now you can see why the UNIONS sleep with the liberal left. They care about nothing but themselves - totally selfish, anti-establishment, and so stupid as to bite the hand that feeds them.
UNION = DEMORAT
Where is Ronald Reagan ?
Union pricks.
Your post would be hilarious if it was sarcasm. As a previous poster said, "F--- the Unions". I hope these idiots are replaced quickly.
greedy bastards
What good is a promise of a better retirement plan if they go out of business? They make enough to save for their own retirement anyway.
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