Boeing Machinists union votes to strike
NPR Online NewsAug 31
Boeing Workers Reject Contract Offer, Begin Strike
Above: Boeing 737 MAX airplanes are pictured outside a Boeing factory on March 25, 2024 in Renton, Washington. Image copyright: Stephen Brashear/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Facts
A reported 94-95% of Boeing's 33K US manufacturing workers—representing a fifth of its total US staff—voted to reject their new contract offer on Friday, with 96% voting to go on strike.
Most of the workers belong to District 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union, which is Boeing's largest union and covers mostly the Seattle, Washington, area. The rest of the workers belong to District W24 in Portland, Oregon.
The Spin
Narrative A
While a 25% pay raise sounds nice on its face, many of these workers make $20 per hour or less — meaning the proposal won't even see them keep up with inflation. Seattle is one of the most expensive places to live in the country, which is why these men and women, who work dangerous factory jobs every day, are rightfully fighting for a living wage for themselves and their families.
Narrative B
While this vote certainly shows that unions still have some power, that won't last forever as technology threatens to replace human labor. Corporations across the country have had to lay off non-union workers, and even some union workers, due to rising costs. And even without considering the technology factor, American manufacturing companies are already beginning to shift their factories to Mexico.