Boeing IAM members say NO!

[737823]

Actually, it speaks to the value of electing the right people to represent you at the table.

Going the other way, it speaks to the value of labor leadership listening to what their constituents want, and acting accordingly.

Well clearly they are out of step with the "membership" endorsing a deal that was resoundingly defeated by the membership. Again, wasn't the Grand Lodge the primary component of this, not so much DL 751? GVP Mark Blondin is heavily involved with Boeing negotiations, must be an important account for the IAM. Same thing at UA, scope and health care were the #1 and #2 items respectively, the membership wanted and look how their NC delivered.

Josh

 

[700UW]

Blondin use to be in charge of 751 for years before he went to the International as the aerospace coordinator then he became GVP. He has the most experience dealing with Boeing.

 

[Kev3188]

 

Well clearly they are out of step with the "membership" endorsing a deal that was resoundingly defeated by the membership.

Clearly.

 

[700UW]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/iam-confirms-jan-3-vote-233700748.html

 

[737823]

You don't see this too often on union websites:

DL 751
 

International Is Forcing a Vote on Jan. 3 - Your Voice Needs to Be Heard at the Voting Polls!
Despite objections from District 751 leadership, the International has insisted on a vote on January 3rd to ensure you spend your holidays studying and debating a concessionary proposal that is largely unchanged from the one you rejected by a 2-to-1 margin on Nov. 13.
Because of the massive takeaways, the Union is adamantly recommending members reject this offer (more information to come). Members need to look at the facts of the economic destruction they would live under for the next 11 years -- without any opportunity to change those economic proposals or any other provision of the contract. And all of this comes as Boeing is experiencing record profits and backlogs, not to mention the $10 billion stock buy back the Boeing Board approved just this last week.

International President R. Thomas Buffenbarger ordered the vote over objections of 751s elected officials, and Rich Michalski announced the Jan. 3rd vote to the Seattle Times on Saturday, Dec. 21.
THERE IS NO STOPPING THE VOTE; THEREFORE, YOUR VOICE NEEDS TO BE HEARD AT THE VOTING POLLS!
The timing of the vote will make it very difficult to get information out to you and to recruit adequate volunteers to ensure members do not wait in line for hours to vote on Jan. 3. Voting for 31,000 people is a monumental task, and it is imperative as many members as possible get the opportunity to vote.
If you are a member and would like to help with the vote, please email us (at volunteers@iam751.org). If you volunteer, be sure to include your name, BEMSID, the location and time of day you would volunteer, phone number, as well as an email address you can be contacted at over the holidays.
Stay tuned. More information on the details will be coming soon.

http://www.iam751.org/

Grand Lodge

Washington, D.C., December 22, 2013 – Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751, District W-24 and District 70 will vote January 3, 2014 on a revised proposal from the Boeing Company that would secure 777X production in the Puget Sound area.

Details of the revised offer will be provided by mail to IAM members and their families prior to the Jan. 3 vote. The new proposal contains significant improvements over an earlier offer from Boeing that was rejected by IAM members on November 13, 2013.

The Jan. 3 vote will take place at IAM Local union halls in Seattle, WA, Portland, OR and Wichita, KS, with results announced later that day.

The IAM is one of the largest industrial trade unions in North America, representing nearly 700,000 active and retired members in dozens of industries. For more information about the IAM, visit www.goiam.org.

So the Grand Lodge is forcing this vote against the interests of the membership and advice their district negotiators. Is Buffy concerned Boeing will stop playing games with the IAM and move to a RTW state where it will be difficult and less lucrative for the IAM to organize? Sure seems that way, especially since they are pushing the ratification vote with such short notice particularly after the Christmas/New Years Holiday when many are away and busy with other things. Seems Buffy wants thees guys to settle, although the company really is still giving them a great offer and many workers in the US would willingly work under these terms which provide a solid middle class lifestyle.

Josh

 

[737823]

On the District 751 Facebook page:

Comments on the IAM 751 Facebook page have been
temporarily suspended to comply with IAM policies and U.S. Department of Labor guidelines that prohibit the use of union resources for electioneering or campaigning by any individual.

Funny they conveniently decide to suspend comments, yet nothing stopped the IAM stooges from posting in the bash Tim Nelson thread and misleading the membership on the recent UA CBA. Had they been championing a yes vote (to secure dues for the IAM) suddenly it would be alright. It really speaks to the character of the IAM as a union to intervene and prevent free exchange of information and ideas in the interest of silencing an opposing viewpoint. At any rate its great to watch this from the sidelines, I know when it is all said and done Boeing will either win over the concessions they are seeking and/or work will be moved to RTW states.

Josh

 

[737823]

Selected snippets:

Boeing has said it will make a decision about a site for the 777X facilities early in the new year.

However, the continued hard-line stance of the local union leadership means the outcome of the vote is unpredictable.

Gary Chaison, professor of industrial relations at Clark University in western Massachusetts, said it’s “extremely rare to have a local and a national union at loggerheads, particularly in a bargaining situation when unity is supposed to be shown.”

“This is an extreme situation,” Chaison said. “I think the national Machinists (leadership) feels that the local is out of control and is taking too militant a stance and jeopardizing jobs.

“It’s a very dangerous game the national union is playing,” he added. “It’s a display of disunity that can be interpreted by the company to be a sign of weakness.”

Other Machinists opposed to the Boeing offer are loudly expressing anger at what they see as interference from the International headquarters.

Some cynically accuse the International of seeking nothing more than securing their union dues for the next decade. Last year, the 751 district paid $25.5 million in dues to the International.

“We are dealing with a corrupt International,” said Evans. “All they are interested in is getting their $25 million.”

http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2022503048_boeingmachinistsvotexml.html

Josh

 

[Kev3188]

On the District 751 Facebook page:


Funny they conveniently decide to suspend comments, yet nothing stopped the IAM stooges from posting in the bash Tim Nelson thread and misleading the membership on the recent UA CBA. Had they been championing a yes vote (to secure dues for the IAM) suddenly it would be alright. It really speaks to the character of the IAM as a union to intervene and prevent free exchange of information and ideas in the interest of silencing an opposing viewpoint. At any rate its great to watch this from the sidelines, I know when it is all said and done Boeing will either win over the concessions they are seeking and/or work will be moved to RTW states.

Josh

Nothing "funny" about it. As noted, there are DOL regs. (and actual laws, IIRC) against union resources being used for campaigning or electioneering. This is why you won't see any official weighing in from the INT'L against Jay Cronk's running, nor anything one way or the other towards anyone else on the ballot.

That's separate from advocating for/against a CBA vote. Which is why you saw those knuckleheads on the Tim Nelson thread here pimping the UA T/A, and at the same time also saw officials in 751 advocating against the Boeing agreement.

 

[737823]

Nothing "funny" about it. As noted, there are DOL regs. (and actual laws, IIRC) against union resources being used for campaigning or electioneering. This is why you won't see any official weighing in from the INT'L against Jay Cronk's running, nor anything one way or the other towards anyone else on the ballot.

That's separate from advocating for/against a CBA vote. Which is why you saw those knuckleheads on the Tim Nelson thread here pimping the UA T/A, and at the same time also saw officials in 751 advocating against the Boeing agreement.

Again why did the DL 751 officials advise the membership through the mainstream media, union communications, and likely other channels to vote against this deal? Facebook falls under the umbrella as a communication medium even the SEC has ruled corporations can communicate with investors of public companies through those channels. Again it would appear someone at a high level, likely outside the district wants to silence opposing views and get this agreement ratified. Why are they holding the vote immediately after Christmas and New Years? As the article stated many members will have not yet returned to work as they extended their vacations, and this adds insult to injury that the IAM only holds ratification as a single day affair and uses antiquated manual processing of the ballots.

What message does it send to the company and the public when the district and international aren't on the same page and there appears to be discord within the structure? The alleged $25 million may be a considerable sum to the IAM Grand Lodge but in the big picture and certainly for Boeing it is a trivial and insignificant amount. Boeing is a very important account for the IAM but they should ensure the interests of the members not filling their coffers while selling out the people they aspire to serve.

(And I fully expect you will likely avoid and not reply to much of the above)

Josh

 

[700UW]

On the District 751 Facebook page:


Funny they conveniently decide to suspend comments, yet nothing stopped the IAM stooges from posting in the bash Tim Nelson thread and misleading the membership on the recent UA CBA. Had they been championing a yes vote (to secure dues for the IAM) suddenly it would be alright. It really speaks to the character of the IAM as a union to intervene and prevent free exchange of information and ideas in the interest of silencing an opposing viewpoint. At any rate its great to watch this from the sidelines, I know when it is all said and done Boeing will either win over the concessions they are seeking and/or work will be moved to RTW states.

Josh

Are you that ignorant?
 
751's FB is an official page of that District, US Aviation isnt.

 

[Kev3188]

(And I fully expect you will likely avoid and not reply to much of the above)

Josh

You know what? F**k you.

I've seen you post that nonsense for the one too manyeth time. When you're ready to treat me with even a modicum of respect, I'll return the favor, and we can get back to discussing the issues of the day.

 

[737823]

You know what? F**k you.

I've seen you post that nonsense for the one too manyeth time. When you're ready to treat me with even a modicum of respect, I'll return the favor, and we can get back to discussing the issues of the day.

Kev I did not intend any disrespect, honestly. And I genuinely do not intend to misquote/draw different conclusions from your posts. Seriously. While we disagree on somethings, I enjoy your posts and have learned a tremendous amount from you and your contributions on this forum. If anything you have made me more aware of the labor movement and that there are people who look past dues and are working to repair the broken structure.

Again why did the DL 751 officials advise the membership through the mainstream media, union communications, and likely other channels to vote against this deal? Facebook falls under the umbrella as a communication medium even the SEC has ruled corporations can communicate with investors of public companies through those channels. Again it would appear someone at a high level, likely outside the district wants to silence opposing views and get this agreement ratified. Why are they holding the vote immediately after Christmas and New Years? As the article stated many members will have not yet returned to work as they extended their vacations, and this adds insult to injury that the IAM only holds ratification as a single day affair and uses antiquated manual processing of the ballots.

What message does it send to the company and the public when the district and international aren't on the same page and there appears to be discord within the structure? The alleged $25 million may be a considerable sum to the IAM Grand Lodge but in the big picture and certainly for Boeing it is a trivial and insignificant amount. Boeing is a very important account for the IAM but they should ensure the interests of the members not filling their coffers while selling out the people they aspire to serve.

Josh

 

[737823]

Kev, can we back to this discussion? Curious to hear your thoughts on the above.

Josh

 

[700UW]

IAM Members to Have Last Word on Boeing Proposal




 



Fri. December 27, 2013


On January 3, 2014, more than 30,000 IAM members at Boeing will have an opportunity to cast ballots on an historic proposal that would locate 777X wing fabrication and final assembly in Puget Sound. The proposal, which extends the current IAM-Boeing agreement to 2024, also contains an eight-year extension of the commitment to build the 737MAX in Puget Sound.
 
In a letter mailed this week to all IAM members covered by the IAM-Boeing contract, IAM International President Tom Buffenbarger discusses the economic value of changes to Boeing’s previous offer. “The total value of the new improvements to the contract offer adds more than $1 billion to the previous offer,” wrote Buffenbarger. “I believe this represents a significant improvement worthy of the membership’s consideration. The total value of the Company’s current proposal is nearly $5 billion as of today’s calculations.”
 
In addition to securing the 777X and 737MAX, the contract extension provides a $10,000 bonus payment upon ratification and adds a $5,000 bonus payable in January 2020. The current proposal also preserves the six-year progression for new employees to reach top pay for a particular job classification. Further details of the contract extension are available here.
 
The decision to hold the Jan. 3 vote follows an intense and ongoing debate among members and in the media over the merits of the proposal and the wisdom of bringing it to a vote. “I cannot conceive of a rationale for determining the membership doesn’t deserve a right to vote on a contract proposal,” said Buffenbarger. “In the IAM, the membership deserves the final say and it is incumbent upon IAM leadership at all levels, from Shop Stewards to District Officers, to assist and assure that it is the members who make the critical decisions in their Union.”
 
A special website has been established at www.iamcontract.org to provide additional information and updates about the Jan. 3 ratification vote. Results of the day-long vote will be announced later that day following a tally of all ballots.

 

[737823]

Then why doesn't he respect that no means no? Is he more loyal to the company the membership since after all without the company there would be no employer to remit dues to? Just like the UA T/A the IAM will shove this one down their throats and then runaround saying "the membership ratified it" BS.

Josh