Inslee meets with angry Machinists union reps

  • By Jerry Cornfield Herald Writer
  • Thursday, February 27, 2014 4:47pm
  • Business

OLYMPIA – Leaders of the Machinists and other unions held a frank conversation with Gov. Jay Inslee Thursday during which they made clear they’ve not forgiven him for pressing Boeing workers into a contract vote which secured the 777X program for the state.

Inslee met with members of the Washington Machinists Council for 35 minutes behind closed doors at a hotel in Olympia. It marked the governor’s first extensive sit-down with labor leaders since the Jan. 3 vote by District Lodge 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).

“It was tense throughout the discussion. It really was,” Larry Brown, political director of District 751 said afterward. “The strength of the relationship has been tested and we have to see what the future brings for that relationship.”

Washington State Labor Council President Jeff Johnson described it as a “good, hard, honest” conversation.

“I believe that the governor got a deeper understanding of the damage he caused to the Machinists union,” he said.

Inslee called it “a real vigorous discussion as friends do. Machinists were not overly subtle.”

“I understand there are some real hard feelings and a lot of residual anger with Machinists about this really difficult position that they and the state of Washington were placed in during the 777X competition,” he said.

The Washington Machinists Council is made up of local unions representing workers in several industries including aerospace, autos and air transportation. Among those attending Thursday was Mark Johnson, aerospace coordinator for the IAM.

Brown said the group’s main question concerned the governor’s public comments urging a vote on the revised eight-year contract extension, after workers rejected the company’s initial offer. Inslee explained that while he did call for a vote, he did not suggest how members should vote, according to Brown.

“Members did not see a distinction between calling for a vote and telling people how to vote,” he said. “We already had a collective bargaining agreement in place, so a call to vote wasn’t a call to vote ‘no.’”

Inslee said he respects Machinists’ “deep feelings about this” but hoped they will be able to work together on such things as training and apprenticeship programs for those who seek union jobs building planes.

“I do believe we need now to move forward,” he said.

Inslee received strong applause at the end of the meeting.

“People were thankful that he had the courage to come and to confront them because he knew he would be in for some tough questioning,” Johnson said. “It’s a long way from being over.”

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Black Press Media operates Sound Publishing, the largest community news organization in Washington State with dailies and community news outlets in Alaska.
Black Press Media concludes transition of ownership

Black Press Media, which operates Sound Publishing, completed its sale Monday (March 25), following the formerly announced corporate restructuring.

Maygen Hetherington, executive director of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, laughs during an interview in her office on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Maygen Hetherington: tireless advocate for the city of Snohomish

Historic Downtown Snohomish Association receives the Opportunity Lives Here award from Economic Alliance.

FILE - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs poses in front of photos of the 15 people who previously held the office on Nov. 22, 2021, after he was sworn in at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Hobbs faces several challengers as he runs for election to the office he was appointed to last fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs: ‘I wanted to serve my country’

Hobbs, a former Lake Stevens senator, is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mark Duffy poses for a photo in his office at the Mountain Pacific Bank headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mark Duffy: Building a hometown bank; giving kids an opportunity

Mountain Pacific Bank’s founder is the recipient of the Fluke Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Barb Tolbert poses for a photo at Silver Scoop Ice Cream on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Tolbert: Former mayor piloted Arlington out of economic brink

Tolbert won the Elson S. Floyd Award, honoring a leader who has “created lasting opportunities” for the underserved.

Photo provided by 
Economic Alliance
Economic Alliance presented one of the Washington Rising Stem Awards to Katie Larios, a senior at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Mountlake Terrace High School senior wins state STEM award

Katie Larios was honored at an Economic Alliance gathering: “A champion for other young women of color in STEM.”

The Westwood Rainier is one of the seven ships in the Westwood line. The ships serve ports in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast Asia. (Photo provided by Swire Shipping)
Westwood Shipping Lines, an Everett mainstay, has new name

The four green-hulled Westwood vessels will keep their names, but the ships will display the Swire Shipping flag.

A Keyport ship docked at Lake Union in Seattle in June 2018. The ship spends most of the year in Alaska harvesting Golden King crab in the Bering Sea. During the summer it ties up for maintenance and repairs at Lake Union. (Keyport LLC)
In crabbers’ turbulent moment, Edmonds seafood processor ‘saved our season’

When a processing plant in Alaska closed, Edmonds-based business Keyport stepped up to solve a “no-win situation.”

Angela Harris, Executive Director of the Port of Edmonds, stands at the port’s marina on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Leadership, love for the Port of Edmonds got exec the job

Shoring up an aging seawall is the first order of business for Angela Harris, the first woman to lead the Edmonds port.

The Cascade Warbirds fly over Naval Station Everett. (Sue Misao / The Herald file)
Bothell High School senior awarded $2,500 to keep on flying

Cascade Warbirds scholarship helps students 16-21 continue flight training and earn a private pilot’s certificate.

Rachel Gardner, the owner of Musicology Co., a new music boutique record store on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. Musicology Co. will open in February, selling used and new vinyl, CDs and other music-related merchandise. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Edmonds record shop intends to be a ‘destination for every musician’

Rachel Gardner opened Musicology Co. this month, filling a record store gap in Edmonds.

MyMyToyStore.com owner Tom Harrison at his brick and mortar storefront on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

After a pipe flooded the store, MyMyToystore in downtown Everett closed. Owner Tom Harrison is already on to his next venture.

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.