While Boeing did not specify what would be taken away from Thursday’s offer if it were to fail, Holden said that could mean cutting any number of gains, including canceling a commitment to build the next airplane in the Puget Sound region, backing away from a 38% wage increase or losing a 1% decrease in health care costs.
On Friday, some workers were heeding Holden’s warning. Sitting down for an interview with The Seattle Times, Holden had just finished a Zoom call with more than 500 members who questioned him closely about the new offer and his recommendation to accept it. He had told them about the risk of losing the earlier gains.
The response from those on the call, he said, “led me to believe … they’re looking to accept it.”
For sure, there are still Machinists unwilling to bend. Rob Davis, a 13-year Everett employee, said he’s still a no vote and dismissed the union leadership as “a finger puppet of Boeing.”
Andrew DeFreese, an equipment operator in Everett, said Friday he’s also sticking with his no vote. He wants to hold out for more paid time off and quicker steps to progress through the wage scales.
Unfortunately, safety nets are so weak in this country that many of the strikers probably don’t feel financially safe extending the strike. Whatever they choose, I’m behind them, but there are definitely practical considerations here.
By design.
Union dues are supposed to go in part to a strike fund, to make sure that they can still pay bills.
Also, most of those machinists have second jobs because Boeing had been letting their purchasing power slide for so long.
It’s not nearly enough. I’m not in their bargaining unit, but I’ve gone on strike with the IAM. It was 300 or 400/week.
https://myedmondsnews.com/2024/11/machinists-union-leadership-urges-approval-of-new-boeing-contract-offer/
If a 38% raise is $120k, then they’re currently averaging $87k/year.
If you’re making $87k/year – and that’s individual income, probably have a bunch of dual earners – you really should not be living paycheck-to-paycheck. That doesn’t even have to do with strikes, just should be maintaining an emergency fund.
Yeah, they are eating too much avocado toast…the problem isn’t workers not spending wisely or saving the problem is not being paid what they are worth.
The question is whats the cost of living for their area…87k can be amazing in middle of no where, but can also mean you live in a garage if you are in bay area…