The St. Louis machinists union has filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Boeing alleging the company is refusing to bargain.
It’s been nearly three weeks since International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 and the company have met to attempt to settle the strike that started Aug. 4.
During that negotiation, the union presented a modified version of its counterproposal that 90% of voting members approved. Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett of the union said Boeing presented a proposal identical to its third contract that was rejected by membership.
“They gave us an opportunity to basically revote the same offer that had just been rejected. And we can't do that,” Bennett said Thursday. “We have to have an improved offer to go back before the membership. We can’t take the same offer back.”
That proposal was a five-year contract with a $4,000 ratification bonus.
A statement from Boeing on Thursday said “the parties have been engaged for several weeks with the help of a federal mediator.”
“We’re surprised by the union’s latest publicity stunt,” a Boeing spokesperson said in a statement. “There is nothing unfair about growing wages by 45% on average to $109,000 a year through our landmark contract offer for Midwest manufacturing.”
The complaint accuses Boeing of violating the National Labor Relations Act by refusing to bargain in good faith. It may not be reviewed until the federal government is no longer shut down, because the National Labor Relations Board and federal strike mediators are not currently working.
Bennett said if the company agrees to a time to meet, federal mediators may be able to be present as essential workers during the shutdown.
“I encourage [Boeing to] give us a counter offer, but it's got to be something different than what we've already rejected in the past,” Bennett said. “They haven't done that at this point.”
He said once the complaint is reviewed, if it is determined that Boeing has committed unfair labor practices, it will not be able to hire permanent replacement workers for the striking employees.
