Copyright fox2now
ST. LOUIS – After months on the picket line, roughly 3,200 machinists with IAM District 837 cast ballots Sunday morning on Boeing’s latest five-year contract offer. By early afternoon, union leaders confirmed its members turned down the latest offer. The three-hour vote followed days of renewed talks with a federal mediator. After three previous rejections, Boeing presented what it called a revised five-year deal featuring 24% wage increases, a $4,000 ratification bonus, and $3,000 in restricted stock units that would vest over three years. Many union members said the offer still fell short of contracts reached at other Boeing sites around the country. “I think this is actually the worst contract that we’ve received to date,” flight operations mechanic Cameron Snyder said. Workers argue the St. Louis contract has become more demanding, with fewer improvements to benefits and retirement plans. “They offer these other places $12,000 just to start, but they gave us a $5,000, a $4,000, then a $3,000 bonus; and every single time they use this high-pressure tactic, like, ‘Sign now or lose it,’” Snyder said. “That’s not the level of respect we deserve for what we put in.” Boeing agreed to move the return-to-work date to Monday, Nov. 3, and to remove language that would have allowed managers or non-union employees to perform union work. IAM District 837 Directing Business Representative Tom Boelling released a statement after the vote saying, “They know their worth and they’ve made it clear what it will take to reach an agreement. Boeing’s refusal to meet those priorities is what keeps this strike going - not our members.” That means the strike will continue until both sides can collaborate on an agreement that fosters the kind of workplace employees feel secure supporting and Boeing believes it is fair to implement. “Yeah, I don’t expect anyone to come back motivated off of this,” flight operations mechanic Sam Boland said. In a statement following the vote, Boeing management claims union leadership hasn't painted a clear picture of the latest result. “We’re disappointed with the vote result. The union’s statement is misleading since the vote failed by the slimmest of margins, 51% to 49%. With the close result and the increased interest we’re hearing from teammates who want to cross the picket line, it’s clear many understand the value of our offer," Deborah VanNierop, global media relations for Boeing Defense, Space & Security, said. "We are turning our focus to executing the next phase of our contingency plan in support of our customers.”
