Boeing and the betrayal of labor

Since this whole sordid misadventure in landing the 777 production line began, I have followed the events as they unraveled. Never had I seen such a coordinated effort which included members of our political establishment, leaders in the upper echelon of a union which had forgotten they are but the empowered representatives of the rank and file, and at the core of these despicable acts, the Boeing executives.

You can take a stand for or against Boeing, the top union leadership and the politicians, but to me, in the end, the discussion must turn towards integrity, leadership and values when addressing culpability. Where was the integrity of our politicians when they stood next to Boeing and participated in spreading fear for one’s job? Why did they not stand with the workers who campaigned and voted for them?

Everett’s mayor claimed to have seen the contract and determined it was worth accepting “in his heart of hearts.” That is clearly untrue as the details of the agreement were not even finalized as the vote was being rammed through. For all we know it is still not finalized. New contracts are available about two weeks after any settlement, but this one has yet to be seen on the shop floor.

Congressman Larsen told the workers they had to take the contract because Boeing would leave; rejection of the takeaways rendering the company unable to compete. This is also a falsehood. Put in the simplest context to understand clearly, the workers traditional pension accounts for about a fraction of 1 percent of the total labor cost per jetliner that comes off the production line. Labor cost per jetliner is around 5 percent of the total.

Some in leadership positions within the Union, tasked with representing the interest of the membership, failed in their responsibility! Lack of a true democratic structure that places power in the hands of the rank and file has been a serious problem in many unions over the years. But now there is an opportunity to remove the IAM entrenched incumbents by voting them out in upcoming elections and restoring power to where it belongs, on the shop floor. The workers have been wronged, this vote, which should never have taken place, must be reversed and those responsible for forcing the vote must be held accountable.

Boeing executives who are the instigators of these nefarious actions must be asked the question, “What are your values?” Attacking the hard fought for and well deserved gains of the workers who made Boeing profitable over decades, is not how one rewards those who created their wealth.

In 2008, the Wall Street bankers and financiers crashed our economy without even one major conspirator held accountable. Now we have Boeing taking advantage of the tough economic times to further ravage our state and its citizens. The wealth inequality the elite have created is an economic threat to our nation and it must be addressed.

The Boeing workers have been hit from all sides with betrayal, intimidation and suppression of their rights. And so have we all. Boeing, our politicians, and the IAM’s compromised union leadership are forcing our hand. Union members and the community must unify to protect ourselves. The Wobblies motto, “An injury to one is an injury to all” rings true more so today than it did over 100 years ago. We must continue to speak up and spread the word of this injustice until it is wiped from the slate.

Mike Lapointe lives in Everett

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

THis is an editorial cartoon by Michael de Adder . Michael de Adder was born in Moncton, New Brunswick. He studied art at Mount Allison University where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing and painting. He began his career working for The Coast, a Halifax-based alternative weekly, drawing a popular comic strip called Walterworld which lampooned the then-current mayor of Halifax, Walter Fitzgerald. This led to freelance jobs at The Chronicle-Herald and The Hill Times in Ottawa, Ontario.

 

After freelancing for a few years, de Adder landed his first full time cartooning job at the Halifax Daily News. After the Daily News folded in 2008, he became the full-time freelance cartoonist at New Brunswick Publishing. He was let go for political views expressed through his work including a cartoon depicting U.S. President Donald Trump’s border policies. He now freelances for the Halifax Chronicle Herald, the Toronto Star, Ottawa Hill Times and Counterpoint in the USA. He has over a million readers per day and is considered the most read cartoonist in Canada.

 

Michael de Adder has won numerous awards for his work, including seven Atlantic Journalism Awards plus a Gold Innovation Award for news animation in 2008. He won the Association of Editorial Cartoonists' 2002 Golden Spike Award for best editorial cartoon spiked by an editor and the Association of Canadian Cartoonists 2014 Townsend Award. The National Cartoonists Society for the Reuben Award has shortlisted him in the Editorial Cartooning category. He is a past president of the Association of Canadian Editorial Cartoonists and spent 10 years on the board of the Cartoonists Rights Network.
Editorial cartoons for Sunday, July 6

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

A Volunteers of America Western Washington crisis counselor talks with somebody on the phone Thursday, July 28, 2022, in at the VOA Behavioral Health Crisis Call Center in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: Dire results will follow end of LGBTQ+ crisis line

The Trump administration will end funding for a 988 line that serves youths in the LGBTQ+ community.

FILE — The journalist Bill Moyers previews an upcoming broadcast with staffers in New York, in March 2001. Moyers, who served as chief spokesman for President Lyndon Johnson during the American military buildup in Vietnam and then went on to a long and celebrated career as a broadcast journalist, returning repeatedly to the subject of the corruption of American democracy by money and power, died in Manhattan on June 26, 2025. He was 91. (Don Hogan Charles/The New York Times)
Comment: Bill Moyers and the power of journalism

His reporting and interviews strengthened democracy by connecting Americans to ideas and each other.

Brooks: AI can’t help students learn to think; it thinks for them

A new study shows deeper learning for those who wrote essays unassisted by large language models.

Do we have to fix Congress to get them to act on Social Security?

Thanks to The Herald Editorial Board for weighing in (probably not for… Continue reading

Comment: Keep county’s public lands in the public’s hands

Now pulled from consideration, the potential sale threatened the county’s resources and environment.

Comment: Companies can’t decide when they’ll be good neighbors

Consumers and officials should hold companies accountable for fair policies and fair prices.

Comment: State’s new tax on digital sales ads unfair and unwise

Washington’s focus on chasing new tax revenue could drive innovation and the jobs to other states.

toon
Editorial: Using discourse to get to common ground

A Building Bridges panel discussion heard from lawmakers and students on disagreeing agreeably.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Friday, June 27, 2025. The sweeping measure Senate Republican leaders hope to push through has many unpopular elements that they despise. But they face a political reckoning on taxes and the scorn of the president if they fail to pass it. (Kent Nishimura/The New York Times)
Editorial: GOP should heed all-caps message on tax policy bill

Trading cuts to Medicaid and more for tax cuts for the wealthy may have consequences for Republicans.

Alaina Livingston, a 4th grade teacher at Silver Furs Elementary, receives her Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination clinic for Everett School District teachers and staff at Evergreen Middle School on Saturday, March 6, 2021 in Everett, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: RFK Jr., CDC panel pose threat to vaccine access

Pharmacies following newly changed CDC guidelines may restrict access to vaccines for some patients.

Forum: Protecting, ensuring our freedoms in uncertain times

Independence means neither blind celebration nor helpless despair; it requires facing the work of democracy.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.