SEATTLE — Hundreds of current and former Boeing employees packed a Seattle union hall Tuesday demanding the company return to the negotiating table during the midst of the machinists’ strike.
Negotiations have stalled in the last week, leading Boeing to withdraw its most recent offer.
“One day longer! One day stronger!” the group cheered inside the IAM District 751 hall.
Several lawmakers joined the chorus too. Both U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell spoke to the room.
“It was fantastic,” said current employee Gary Laws at the event.
“Crowd was pretty energetic.”
Rep. Jayapal said she hoped her presence, and the presence of other lawmakers, would help put pressure on the company.
“You are doing this not just for your family to have decent wages, pension benefits, but also for future generations,” she said of her message to union members. “Also for the safety and security of the United States of America.”
“There is no scenario where the company reactivates a defined-benefit pension for this or any other population,” a spokesperson for Boeing responded. “They’re prohibitively expensive and that’s why virtually all private employers have transitioned away from them to defined-contribution plans.”
Over a month into the strike, progress has stalled. Boeing pulled its latest offer from the table last week.
“Unfortunately, the union did not seriously consider our proposals,” wrote Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stephanie Pope in a message to employees. “Instead, the union made non-negotiable demands far in excess of what can be accepted if we are to remain competitive as a business. Given that position, further negotiations do not make sense at this point and our offer has been withdrawn.”
KIRO 7 asked union leaders where negotiations stood one week later.
“There’s no negotiating happening right now,” said Machinist Union leader Jon Holden. “They’ve walked away from the table. They need to come back to the table.”
In a statement to KIRO 7, a representative from Boeing said the company remained committed to finding a resolution to the strike.
“We will work with the union when they are ready to bargain an agreement that recognizes our employees and preserves our company’s future,” the Boeing representative wrote.
On the picket line and in the union hall, members on strike say their energy remains high.
“This union is very strong,” said Pamela Harris, a retired Boeing employee. “We will win.”