GRESHAM, Ore. — More than 30,000 Boeing machinists are on strike across America, including more than 1,200 in Oregon. Dozens were on the picket lines outside the Gresham facility, starting midnight Thursday.
“You can’t build Boeing airplanes without the machinists. You can’t build Boeing airplanes without the parts we make here in Portland,” said Eric Bitney on the Gresham picket line Friday morning.
The majority of Boeing’s largest machinists’ union — more than 30,000 members, including those in Seattle and more than 1,200 in Oregon — voted against their new contract after six months of negotiating.
“Our wages have been stagnated over the last eight years; our members have gotten a half-percent wage increase over the past eight years… There was enough anger and frustration over the past decade-plus that they needed to express that and overwhelmingly rejected that agreement,” said Brandon Bryant of the district W24 IAM, who was at the bargaining table.
Bryant said it all came down to five things: pay, secure retirement, paid time off, the cost of healthcare and job security.
“It’s time that the company takes care of their people,” said Bill Brewer, who has worked at Boeing’s Gresham facility for 19 years. “I’m not as proud as I was 15, 20 years ago… There are people that literally cannot afford a house, and that’s unfair.”
“We just want to provide for our families and Boeing had a chance to do the right thing and they haven’t done it yet. They better hurry up and make a decision,” added Bitney.
A spokesperson for Boeing sent KGW the following statement Friday: “The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members. We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union, and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.”
Until then, machinists on the picket line go without their normal pay and lose benefits if not back at work by the end of the month. The strike also impacts surrounding businesses.
“There’s a lot of small mom-and-pop shops that rely on the work they do for us, and it’s going to be hard on them very hard on them… That’s a gamble and a risk that we’re willing to take,” said Brewer.
“We’re frustrated, and we’re fired up. That’s why we’re The Fighting Machinists — 'cause we’re out here fighting for what we deserve,” added Bitney.
The union and Boeing talked late Thursday night. The union met again with their bargaining team Friday to figure out another strategy to reach a new agreement that machinists will support.
Boeing machinists have gone on strike seven other times, with the longest lasting 20 weeks.
