Boeing workers rally with union president in Portland ‘for the safety of the flying public’

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Hundreds of Boeing workers joined a rally in Portland Thursday alongside IAM International president Brian Bryant.

This comes amid 33,000 Boeing machinists continuing to strike across the Pacific Northwest, calling for a fair contract and arguing that worker treatment has a significant impact on public safety.

At 11 a.m., workers rallied outside Portland’s Boeing Facility where Bryant spoke among other union and state officials.

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“We are here to deliver a message directly to the Boeing corporation,” Bryant said at the start of the rally. “You have picked a fight with the wrong group of people, am I right? Because the Oregon and the Washington labor movements will never back down.”

According to the union, their contract, which was put into place in 2008 and then extended in 2011 and 2014, remained mostly unchanged. This resulted in stagnant wages and a contract that didn’t meet employees’ needs.

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The biggest issues are not only better wages, but achieving safety for those who rely on Boeing planes to travel from city to city, Bryant said.

“When Boeing blatantly disregards their workers in the pursuit of ever-higher profits, this is what happens, isn’t it? And this insatiable appetite for CEO and shareholder wealth has caused the very safety issues that has damaged the public trust in this company,” Bryant said. “You are fighting for more than just a fair contract. You are fighting for the safety of the flying public.”

Back in January, an Alaska Airlines flight that had a door blow off mid-air in Portland involved a Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft. The incident had been caused by Flight 1282’s door plug, which had apparently been missing the bolts necessary to keep it in place.

Boeing told KOIN 6 that they are committed to fixing its relationship with their employees and finding a contract that works for the members of the union.

The last contract deal that was offered included a raise in pay from around $75,000 to $106,000 per year. But that fell short of the union’s initial demand for a 43% pay raise over three years.

This strike has brought production and hiring to a halt and it could also affect parts suppliers.

In a message to employees this week Boeing’s CEO acknowledged the impact, saying the company will look to save money through temporary furloughs and pay cuts for leadership.

Watch the full rally via the video player above.

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