Machinists to protest Boeing, Mexico aerospace summit

Published 11:26 am Tuesday, November 23, 2010

The Machinists union has planned multiple protests of the Boeing Co. and others in opposition to their participation in the MexicoNow aerospace conference next week.

The conference aims to attract Washington aerospace companies to Mexico. The Boeing Machinists union opposes the plan.

“This fight is not just our fight,” wrote Tom Wroblewski, president of the local Machinists union in a letter to the Washington State Labor Council. “This conference represents a very real threat to our state’s economic future.”

Wroblewski asked the labor council for help in mounting protests outside the Seattle-area offices of two companies who have committed to sending speakers to the Mexico outsourcing conference – GE Commercial Finance in Bellevue and real estate firm Cushman &Wakefield in Seattle.

The union also plans to protest outside Boeing’s Longacres office the day before the conference and at the SeaTac Hilton where the conference is being held on Dec. 2.

“The Machinists Union is committed to growing Washington’s aerospace industry, and we will work with anyone who can bring good-paying aerospace jobs to our state,” Wroblewski said.

The Machinists plan to protest at the following places and times:

• Cushman &Wakefield, 1420 Fifth Ave., Seattle — 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 29.
• GE Commercial Finance, 2340 130th Ave., Bellevue – noon to 2 p.m. on Nov. 30.
• Boeing Commercial Airplanes, 1901 Oakesdale Ave. SW, Renton – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 1.
• Hilton Seattle Airport, 17620 International Blvd., SeaTac – 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 2.