SEATTLE, 10 Jan. 2014. Machinists disappointed with the 51-percent yes vote, of just a week ago on 3 Jan., to accept Boeing’s last and best eight-year contract extension offer to build the 777X commercial aircraft, are requesting a recount, calling for a revote, and alleging unfair labor practices. Meanwhile, International Aerospace Coordinator Mark Johnson confirmed that $10,000 signing-bonus checks will be distributed later this month.
The payout day confirmed that the $10,000 signing bonus checks, to be distributed on the week ending 25 Jan. 2014, “represents the first portion of the two-part $15,000 signing bonus contained in the contact extension.” An additional bonus payment of $5,000 will be distributed in January 2020, Johnson added.
Just days after the machinists’ 51-percent yes vote earlier this month, some of the machinists who had voted against accepting Boeing’s offer called for a recount. Several other unhappy machinists are calling for a revote. It was also announced this week that several machinists are alleging that union leaders manipulated the vote results.
On 8 Jan. 2014, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Attorney Anne Pomerantz in Seattle confirmed that the NLRB has launched an investigation into unfair labor practice charges filed against IAMAW by individual members.
“All along we knew that our members wanted to build that 777X, and that it was in Boeing’s best interest to have them do it. We recommended that our members reject the offer, because we felt that the cost was too high, in terms of our lost pensions and the thousands of dollars in additional health care costs we’ll have to pay each year,” Wroblewski is quoted as saying in The Machinists News, a blog on news of interest to members of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers District Lodge 751 (http://iam751.wordpress.com/).
Following the yes vote of 3 Jan. 2014, Wroblewski commented: “Our members have spoken and this is the course we’ll take.
“Now it’s up to all of us to pull together to make this airplane program successful,” Wroblewski adds. “I’m confident we will do that, because as we’ve said all along, this is the most-skilled aerospace workforce in the world.”
-- Machinist majority accepts Boeing eight-year contract proposal previously rejected by leaders
-- Some machinists call for recount, revote even as Boeing readies $10k signing bonuses
-- Boeing’s Conner comments on IAM 751 contract extension vote
-- Washington State works to hold onto Boeing
-- SPEEA wants details on Boeing research restructuring
-- Washington leaders court Airbus in the U.S.
-- Washington Governor Jay Inslee supports union member vote on Boeing contract proposal
-- Machinists march in protest of union leadership’s rejection of Boeing offer
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