EVERETT, Wash. — Thousands of Boeing employees who are part of IAM District 751 are not happy with a new contract proposal with the company.
The polls open to union members at 5 a.m. Thursday. If a strike becomes authorized, it could begin as early as midnight Friday.
"Some are prepared for a very long strike," one of the machinists added.
Some union workers are already preparing for the possibility that 33,000 local Boeing workers could walk off the job.
“Disgust," is how one machinist who wished to remain anonymous put it. She and another machinist that KING 5 spoke with did not want to be identified out of fear of retaliation.
“That was a huge insult, it’s one of the worst contracts I’ve seen, yeah a slap in the face to us," she told KING 5. The other machinist told KING 5 that the proposal comes nowhere near what they wanted.
"Given the fine print and the takeaways it fell far below what anyone was hoping for or expecting," he said. The two said one of the biggest sticking points is the pay. Boeing is offering a 25% pay increase but is also removing the annual bonus employees currently receive.
“It removes 16 percent wages total out of the total 25 percent wages being presented leaving members with 9 percent for a four year contract which is really what the big commotion is," he said. Union members at the Everett plant have been marching and rallying during their breaks in response.
"We need to be paid what we’re worth," the machinist said. KING 5 looked at a side-by-side comparison of the original demands of the union and what's in the proposal.
Only one demand was met in full which is a commitment to build the next plane in the Puget Sound.
“This contract is for four years and we are under the complete impression that this company has no intent on releasing or starting a new plane program in four years so it is an empty promise," the machinist said.
Boeing COO and Executive Vice President Stephanie Pope said in an email to Boeing union members that “this is the best contract we’ve ever presented.”
Pope cited that the contract offers an overall wage increase of 25%, which can increase to 33%, and a generational work commitment for machinists. She also cited a “a new, automatic contribution of up to $4,160 a year to an employee’s IAM 401(k) account.”
“We did not hold back with an eye on a second vote,” she said. “We do not want a strike because a work stoppage will hurt all of us, our customers, our suppliers, and our community.”
According to aviation expert Scott Hamilton, a strike would potentially have severe impacts on Boeing as a company and the aviation industry as a whole.
"If a strike happens, all the deliveries out of Washington state will stop," Hamilton said.
The severity of impacts would be contingent on how long a potential strike lasts, he explained.
"The 2008 strike was by the IAM was 57 days," said Hamilton. "In Boeing's present condition and weakened financial condition, that would be very, very damaging.”
A long strike could even cause Boeing to lose its fight against its biggest competitor, Airbus.
"Boeing is in a pretty precarious position right now," said Hamilton.
Boeing and its employees will learn their fate when polls close at 6 p.m. Thursday.
There’ll be a majority vote for the contract, but a strike can only be authorized if two-thirds of union members agree to a strike. If two-thirds is not reached, the contract will be accepted by default, according to the labor union.