'You want the best, pay the best'

MOSES LAKE – More than 33,000 Boeing employees are officially striking as of Sept. 13 at midnight after a Sept. 12 vote saw union members reject a contract proposal from their employer. Machinists voted 94.6% to reject the contract and 96% in favor of striking, according to IAM District 751.  

“Boeing should come forward with a fair offer that truly represents the workforce and the work we do for you, everything we build,” Tim Phillips, Boeing employee said. “These planes carry 200 plus people, most of them, some of them just under 200. Those are lives that are relying on the quality of the product being built. And so, for that type of work, I think it deserves that type of pay.” 

In an IAM 751 Sept. 7 press release, the union said the offer includes a 25% general wage increase, job security, lowered health care cost share, enhanced retirement security, members will only have one set of progression steps in their career, vacation time will be available for those who earn it, secure upgrades for certain job codes and improved overtime limits.  

“We want to be a lot closer to the initial demand of 45%, the contract they offered is not enough,” Sam Taylor, a picket captain and employee at Boeing said. “A lot of us carry professional certifications and licenses, and we want to be paid more on par with the trades. We've fallen way behind, and it's time to catch up.” 

In Moses Lake, employees are striking outside of the main Boeing Gate at the Grant County International Airport. They have a barbeque, music, a porta potty and more than 40 people on each picket shift. The shifts are set to go from 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. until an agreement is reached. There are around 800 Moses Lake Boeing employees picketing.  

“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,” Connor Greenwood, Boeing Media Relations said.  

According to AP News, the strike will not disrupt airline flights, but it is expected to shut down production. It is unknown how long the strike will continue, but as of press time, Taylor said no one had crossed the picket line in Moses Lake.  

“We are out here showing solidarity to Boeing, demanding a better contract. We've earned it. We've earned it,” Taylor said. “All along, Boeing is crying that their $60 billion in debt was their own decision, and they should have been paying us more all along. We haven't had a pay raise since before I got here in 2012. They're demanding more and more of us on the job. We're more accountable for our work and our performance. They're demanding quality. Our customers demand and expect quality. You want the best, pay the best.” 

    Jeff Groebli and his wife Reagon Groubli strike outside the main gate of Boeing after voting to reject the contract offered to their union.