Strike Update September 20, 2008

The best way to show Boeing we are united and to get a fair contract is to keep strong picket lines in all locations. If you are assigned picket duty, please do your best to complete that shift to ensure that all gates are covered.

No one knows when Boeing will agree to come back to the table and address your issues. We all take it one day at a time. Union negotiators talk to the mediator daily and note they are ready to begin talks at a moment's notice once Boeing is ready to change their last, best and final offer, which you overwhelmingly rejected. As the missed deliveries mount, so does the pressure on Boeing to return to the table so their customers will get the top quality planes they ordered from the most skilled aerospace workers in the world. Take a look at the editorial this week by a business professor at Pacific Lutheran University who points out why Boeing's arguments don't hold up under scrutiny, click here to view.

The week's news on Wall Street further re-inforces why it was so important to preserve a guaranteed pension for ALL members rather than relying exclusively on 401K investments.

Flu Shots - Several members have inquired about flu shots, which are usually provided at various Boeing worksites. It looks like the Boeing flu shot schedule has been pushed back a bit this year and will be in November and December.

COBRA - Members have also been asking when they might receive COBRA information on continuing their medical coverage beyond September. Members should be receiving a mailing from Boeing with this information in the next week or so. Members have 60 days to elect coverage and 45 days from the date they elect coverage to pay so there is considerable time before any payments will be due. Keep in mind when you elect COBRA coverage, it will be retroactive to the date coverage expires (October 1). Again, there will be plenty of time to assess options and make informed decisions before any payments are due.

Prescription Advice - Several members have written to note that when they talked to their local pharmacy (Fred Meyer, Rite Aid and Costco), they were able to get 90-day supplies of their current prescriptions rather than transferring to the mail-order program. They advised other members should talk to their pharmacy before deciding to switch to the mail-order program.

Discounts Offered - We have had many businesses offering assistance and discounts to our members. Vision Quest Sport & Fitness centers are providing a 30-day pass for striking machinists at their clubs in Kent and Auburn. Click here for a Vision Quest flyer. Every day additional support is coming forward as others throughout the community realize our battle is a fight to preserve the middle class and stop Corporate greed.

Solidarity is what will win this fight so stay strong, do your picket duty and together we will get Boeing back to the table to address your issues.

In Solidarity,
Your Union Leadership