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Besides a huge 25% pay bump, machinists at Boeing scored another big win in their new union contract. The tentative agreement released by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers shows that the planemaker has promised its workers a seat at the table regarding safety practices.
“The Company will commit to providing an annual meeting with the Directing Business Representative/President(s) of IAM 751 and W24 and Boeing’s Aerospace Safety Standing Committee Chair to discuss safety related issues or concerns,” reads a letter of understanding attached to the agreement.
After a door plug fell off an Alaska Airlines-operated 737 Max 9 in January, Boeing’s safety and quality control systems came under a great deal of scrutiny. As part of its first full contract negotiations since 2008, the 30,000-plus workers represented by IAM District 751 sought more of a say in constructing those systems and reportedly sought a full-time seat on Boeing’s board of directors.
“The company should want to take care of its workforce so that we can succeed together,” District 751 President Jon Holde wrote in the union’s in-house newspaper this month. “Not too long ago, Boeing had a reputation for greatness, setting the bar in the aerospace industry with cutting-edge products. Our Members shared that pride, knowing our livelihoods and legacy were, and still are, tied to every plane that leaves the factory.”
While it’s not a full seat on the board, the safety committee is an extension of the board. Still, a commitment to meet — along with newly established “senior executive labor-management committee” that will meet twice a year— means that workers will have more of a say in the company’s operations.
“We now have a seat at the table regarding the safety and quality of the production system,” the union wrote in its announcement of the tentative agreement. “Financially, the company finds itself in a tough position due to many self-inflicted missteps. It is IAM members who will bring this company back on track.”