IAM/Boeing Contract 2024 Negotiations Update - August 20, 2024
Today, we received counterproposals from the company on Attachment A Medical, Attachment B Retiree Medical, and Article 11 Group Benefits. We will work to identify the differences between our proposals, but the company continues to propose a higher cost share for our Member's medical coverage. Additionally, we passed an information request on a newly proposed healthcare system that could be available in the future. We also discussed jurisdictional language and job security, which directly impact our proposals for Article 21.7 (Subcontracting), LOU 2 (Facilities Maintenance), LOU 42 (Work Placement), and LOU 43 (777x Work Placement).
The company must address these critical issues in a meaningful way. We've emphasized daily that our Members have lived under the current contract for the past 16 years and are serious about their proposals. After squeezing every concession possible out of their workers in 2014 for short-term gain, Boeing should have anticipated that the time would come when workers would demand what they deserve. Now, our Members are willing to fight to improve all areas of our agreement.
It's long overdue for Boeing to invest in the people who will once again bring this company back on track. The focus should shift from short-term gains to long-term investments in the very workforce who built, and will continue to build, this company's value and wealth.
We should be talking about improvements to our agreement, not concessions. Our Members deserve better, and the company should recognize that it needs the IAM Membership to right this ship.
Lastly, your Union is preparing to distribute IAM District 751 Debit Cards for potential strike pay, if necessary. We will soon provide details on when and where you can pick up these cards based on your mailing address. Please make sure your mailing address is up to date by using the link below:
IAM/Boeing Contract 2024 Negotiations Update - August 19, 2024
This morning, your Union negotiators took some time to assess our progress and focus on what remains to be done. With a 304-page contract, we're meticulously reviewing every detail - refining language, building counterproposals, and always keeping member priorities at the forefront.
To date, we've already presented all the major issues - Wages, Pension, 401(k) improvements, Job Security, Progression, Healthcare, and more - but the company's responses have yet to meet your expectations. Therefore, we persist in our negotiations.
While we've tentatively agreed on many smaller issues, the most significant items are still on the table, awaiting the company's response. We will not accept a simple "not interested" from the company on any major item without reasserting our proposals - this fight is too important.
Whether you're a new hire or a seasoned veteran, your voice drives our efforts at the bargaining table. Again, our members deserve better, and we will continue pushing for the best contract we can accomplish. Our success is something that we will achieve together.
In Unity,
Your IAM 751 Negotiating Committee
IAM/Boeing Contract 2024 Negotiations Update - August 17, 2024
Today, we refined and submitted counter proposals on crucial Letters of Understanding (LOUs) covering topics such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), AOG assignments, Tech Prep students, Job Classifications, and the AMPP incentive program.
Throughout the day, we met with Boeing multiple times, exchanging proposals and engaging in discussions. The AMPP program, in particular, was a major focus. We're pushing hard to reshape this incentive plan to reflect fairness, transparency, higher payouts, and real value for our members. We aim to secure guaranteed minimum payouts, with the potential to earn more based on clear, achievable metrics.
Retirement security also took center stage in today's caucus. We talked
extensively about retirement security, including the 401k plan, the pension plan, and the Machinists Savings Retirement Plan. So far, the company's proposals fall drastically short of what our members deserve. We refuse to back down. There's too much at stake - for everyone. This is a fight we cannot and will not lose.
For the first time in our history, IAM District 751 is also making safety and quality improvements a part of these negotiations. We won't be bystanders in decisions that impact our lives and livelihoods. We want a proactive role in the company's safety management system and quality controls. This isn't just about protecting what we have - it's about saving the company.
This evening, your Union Negotiators are taking a short break to do some laundry and reconnect with family before returning to the table. Tomorrow marks the end of the first full week of round-the-clock bargaining, and while progress has been made, we still have a long way to go.
This is where your solidarity is crucial. Let Boeing know, loud and clear, what you stand for. Talk to your neighbors, your friends, and your community. Make sure they understand why we fight and what's at stake. Tell your kids and grandkids that we will do everything in our power to secure a future as strong and bright as the one that was fought for us.
Our fight is just, our proposals are fair, and our unity remains unbreakable.
In Unity,
Your IAM 751 Negotiating Committee
IAM/Boeing Contract 2024 Negotiations Update - August 16, 2024
Your negotiating committee has completed our fifth day of daily bargaining, and we continue to push the membership's priorities forward.
Today was all about Article 6, including General Wage Increases, COLA, Pay Additives, and other economic goals. We made it clear that our members' take-home pay has stagnated over the last decade. The COLA formula has not kept up with inflation. We have experienced the highest inflation in 40 years. Our members deserve better, and we will continue to propose aggressive increases in all areas.
Our members need to earn enough money for housing in one of the most expensive areas in the country, feed their families, and pay for health care and essential items like car payments and daycare. The company can't be successful without you. They need to recognize your value in order to get this company back on track together. It's time you received your fair share.
We have spent the last ten years working to regain our strength and unify our membership. The last time the company had the leverage, they used it to squeeze every last drop from our members. To stagnate wages, demand a 10-year agreement, and threaten us with moving our work. When they had the leverage, the company didn't let up. Our members have waited ten years to be in a position of strength, and we are ready to use it.
Tomorrow is another day, and we will continue to push your priorities.
In Unity,
Your IAM 751 Negotiating Committee
August 15, 2024 - Update
For the first time, IAM District 751 President Jon Holden and District W24 President Brandon Bryant had the opportunity to meet with Boeing's new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, between today's bargaining sessions. While Ortberg may not be sitting at the bargaining table, his influence on the negotiation process is undeniable.
Holden wasted no time in making the membership's priorities crystal clear. Our members have endured years of wage stagnation and crushing inflation. It's time for wages that reflect our hard work and the rising cost of living. Retirement security is critical to our members and Boeing must fund a larger share of the retirement contributions going forward. The burden of skyrocketing healthcare costs is unacceptable, and it's time for the company to shoulder its share of responsibility. Our members are determined to be heard regarding safety, quality, and the overall health of the manufacturing system. However, it was job security that dominated the conversation.
Holden delivered a powerful message to Ortberg: We will not allow our Machinists to be put in a position where the company can threaten to move work away from our members like they did in 2003, 2011, 2014, and 2021. This contract must guarantee the next airplane program stays in Puget Sound. Our future, our families' futures, depend on it. Boeing cannot rebuild the trust it shattered over the last two decades unless it commits to securing these jobs right here, where they belong.
Ortberg knows that we can't rewrite the past, but we can work on a path forward in the future. We fully expect him to include the members of District 751 and W24 in the vision for the future. Only this can reignite the spirit and success of this company and breathe life back into a legacy that once made Boeing the pride of American industry.
In Unity,
Your IAM 751 Negotiating Committee
August 14, 2024 - Update
The numbers don't add up.
Boeing recently claimed that our take-home pay grew by 60% from 2013 to 2023, which was misleading at best.
The company included the AMPP bonuses as over 40% wage growth during this time. While the AMPP has been a very important part of our annual income, it is a one-time payment that does not compound annually. The AMPP bonus has averaged 3.7% over this period, and while important, it shouldn't be calculated this way.
It is essential to also look at the company's information on wage replacement in retirement. The most misleading information is that they use the Employees Wage Deferral Contribution, Social Security, and Retiree Medical to make their numbers work. The smallest share under their system is the company's contribution. Our members lost the MAJORITY of their retirement security when the Boeing Pension was taken away. Members deserve retirement security, and Boeing needs to fund a larger share of your retirement.
This is why the Union continuously checks the data. This company will continue to release misleading or, in some cases, purely false information to attempt to garner your support. We will present you with facts so you can decide for yourself.
Stay strong, stay vigilant, and stay united!
In Unity,
Your IAM 751 Negotiating Committee
August 13, 2024 - Update
After a full day of bargaining yesterday, your Union presented counter-proposals on Group Benefits, Article 11, and Retiree Medical (Attachment B) today, all with the goal of cutting costs and increasing access for our members and their families. We dedicated hours reviewing all the memorandums of understanding and actions attached to the current agreement to determine if they remain valid, should be extended, or if no action is needed.
To retain a quality, skilled workforce for the future, the company must listen to its workers and offer proposals that reflect the demands heard in your shop floor marches, voiced in daily member emails, posted on social media, and conveyed by Union Stewards and Business Representatives from the factories. Higher wages, job security, secure retirement, and a better work-life balance are unifying our members and sending a clear message to the company. Both sides hear it - now is the time for the company to start listening.
In Unity,
Your IAM 751 Negotiating Committee
Negotiations Update for August 12, 2024
Today marked the first full day of round-the-clock bargaining at the hotel. We remain focused on the issues you told us were important. The company passed their first economic proposal and as it’s the first day of bargaining, it’s no surprise, we are far from reaching agreement. We continue to stand strong on our proposals for many items including wages, retirement, and health care.
To date, the company refuses to offer long-term job security for our Members. We can’t forget 2003, 2011, and 2013 when they threatened to move whole airplane programs to other states. Our Members and our communities have earned and deserve a commitment from this company as we can only be successful together.
The company's recent claims of nearly 60% increases in take-home pay for IAM 751 and W24 Members over the last decade are misleading - no one has seen that kind of increase in their take home pay.
Trust one source for accurate information - Your Union. We will continue to be straightforward and keep you properly informed as quickly as possible.
In unity,
Your IAM 751 Negotiating Committee
Negotiations Update for August 2, 2024
Negotiations Update for July 26, 2024
July 17, 2024 - 99.9% Approval for Strike Sanction Vote
Thousands of workers and their families packed T-Mobile Park, stood shoulder to shoulder, and sent a clear message. We are stronger together. Our Union’s power resonated globally as we cast our votes for a strong future. This is Our Future, Our Fight!
May 29th 2024 - Signs and Banners
Come early to your Local Lodge meetings in June and build/paint your banner to be displayed at the July 17th Strike Sanction mtg. All the supplies will be provided for you to create and send a message. Volunteers will then hang these banners at the Strike Sanction meeting. All Local Lodge meetings in June are in person at the Seattle Union Hall. 9125 15th ave so.
March 29, 2024 - We Are Ready
March 18, 2024 - Text Messages
We sent out a test text message last week to gear up for members to receive text messages about negotiations. These are sent through our website and if you would like to receive these text message updates periodically, please log into your account on this web site and ensure your cell phone number is correct and the proper cell phone carrier is selected. Text messages sent will be sent to your email address for those who do not have their cell numbers listed.
March 8, 2024 - IAM/Boeing Contract Opener
Today marks the start of negotiations with The Boeing Company, the first time in 16 years that we've had the opportunity to open traditional bargaining in all areas of the contract. Additionally, we're excited to announce the launch of our revamped website, featuring a new look and a streamlined interface.
Stay tuned and stay informed - this is your contract, and it will be your ideas, suggestions, and priorities that will guide us through this process.
Remember to bookmark this page to keep updated on the latest news surrounding the 2024 negotiations.
Watch the IAM District 751 Press Conference following the IAM/Boeing Opener
