Boeing machinists take to the picket line in front of Boeing’s Paine Field facility as thousands of IAM District 751 workers begin their strike over unfair labor practices on Friday, Sep. 13, 2024, in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry)
Standing on the picket line outside Boeing’s Everett plant on Friday, Phil Westburg said not much has improved for aircraft machinists in the Puget Sound region since 2008, the last time he and other members of his union walked off the job.
“We’re paying more now for a doctor’s visit and we lost our pension,” said Westburg, who was among roughly 33,000 International Association of Machinists workers who went on strike after voting to reject a Boeing contract offer on Thursday.
“What they’ve offered us now, if you’re asking my opinion, was really a poor attempt to get us to accept the contract. We would like to get our pension back,” said Westburg, who worked on the 787 production line before switching roles due to a workplace injury. “They have to make money in order for us to have a job here, but we want what’s fair to us — a better pay increase.”