Remember, Boeing also taketh away

Published 2:16 pm Tuesday, August 26, 2008

I am really tired of hearing about how greedy the Machinists are. Boeing does a great job of perpetuating this. The Machinists are not only fighting for their future, but the future of new hires and retirees. Boeing does a great job of telling the public about all of the great incentives they are offering, such as the lump sum bonuses, the wage increase — which is minimal — and the small production incentives.

In truth, the lump sum bonuses will not even cover the cost of the health care increases that Boeing wants to double. What Boeing does not tell you is about all of the takeaways they are proposing. Benefits that the Machinists have already fought for and won, like lowering the starting wage for new hires. Boeing wants to increase the cost of health care (doubling the cost to employees). Boeing wants to take away retirement benefits to new hires and retirees. And last, but not least, they want to outsource more work, at the cost of American jobs.

Well, look at what outsourcing has already accomplished. Delays in the new 787, and an inferior product that has to be retooled in-house and required overtime for the Machinists to correct these problems. They sometimes work 10 to 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

It is all just smoke and mirrors to make the Machinists look greedy.

All I can say is, how would you like the benefits you receive and worked hard for taken away overnight?

In the end Boeing is recording record profits in the billions — because of the Machinists — and it is Boeing who is being greedy.

Kristi Morehouse