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Puget Sound Workers
To Vote On Deal To Land Boeing’s 737 MAX By Bill Goldston |
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December 3, 2011 - Machinists Union members will vote next week on a four-year contract extension that includes a commitment by the Boeing. to build its 737 MAX passenger jet in Washington state.
Leaders of the International Association of Machinists
and Aerospace Workers (IAM) said the tentative agreement
also would ensure continuation of wide-body aircraft
work in Puget Sound. In addition to the job security language, terms of the four-year proposal include annual wage increases of 2 percent, plus cost-of-living adjustments, an incentive program intended to pay bonuses between 2 and 4 percent, a ratification bonus of $5,000 for each member, increases to the formula for calculating pensions in each year of the pact and guarantees that new hires would continue to receive traditional pensions. |
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IAM
District Lodge 751 President Tom Wroblewski called it an
“extraordinary proposal.” The proposed contract extension
would “secure thousands of jobs while raising Machinists’
pay and pensions,” he said. “Hopefully it also signals the
start of a new relationship that can both meet our members’
expectations for good jobs, while giving Boeing the
stability and productivity it needs to succeed.”
In
addition to the prospect of reliable and uninterrupted aircraft
production through September 2016, the agreement provides Boeing
with savings in health care costs, partly by encouraging union
members to enroll in wellness programs and partly by increasing
the share they pay toward their health benefits.
“These
committees are designed to provide the means and opportunity to
resolve issues that have led to work stoppages in the past,”
said IAM International Vice President Rich Michalski, who helped
guide the talks. “It was open and honest dialog that led to this
tentative agreement with Boeing and I believe that approach and
these committees can guide the new relationship going forward.” The agreement still must be ratified by IAM members working for Boeing in Washington state, Oregon and Kansas. The votes are scheduled for December 7. Boeing’s BCA Labor Communications, Tim Healy said "The 737 MAX builds upon the legacy of the world's best single-aisle airplane and continues to generate overwhelming response from our customers," said Jim Albaugh, president and chief executive officer, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. |