For drivers passing along Airport Road in Everett Washington, outside the Boeing plant, it’s impossible to ignore the passion from some of the 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in Washington, Oregon and California as they go on strike.
“We are very proud to build these planes, we’re very proud to work at Boeing, but management doesn’t see that,” said mechanic Gustavo Martinez.
Each machinist has their own reason for voting down the contract and for casting their vote to strike — even if it means giving up their paycheck for the amount of time they’re on the picket line, an easy decision for Martinez to get back concessions made in the past, like giving up worker pensions a decade ago.
According to Boeing’s numbers, the current annual salary for a machinist at the company is over $76,000. With the rejected contract, Boeing says the average salary would be over $106,000. According to Redfin, the median home price in Washington’s King County is $875,000.