A recent letter writer commented that the last strike was “only 56 days long,” as if to say, “How bad could that be?” I was struck by that word “only.” It neatly captured the futility of Boeing’s predicament — its inability to effectively communicate its position.
Using round numbers, Boeing employs 24,000 in Puget Sound. Assuming only one shift per day, a 56-day strike represents the loss of 10,752,000 man-hours of labor. That equates to 1,227 man-years of effort toward meeting company and client objectives.
Post-strike, in order to make good on contractual commitments, let’s say Boeing spends one half of one shift of that effort in overtime for 56 additional days. Boeing would have to buy an estimated 610 man-years of additional overtime labor, at 1.5 times the hourly wage rate to compensate.
We now have some perspective on the impact of 56 days: 1,227 man-years of lost employee work effort, to be only partially offset by an additional 610 man-years at 1.5 times regular wage. Staggering to consider Boeing could survive such a thing.
Gov. Gregoire surely bears some responsibility for failing to see it more from the perspective of Boeing’s clients. Boeing’s customers, after all, are Washington state’s customers. IAW serves the workers, not the clients, Boeing, or Washington. IAW’s sole obligation is to the workers, and they met that obligation, even if they missed their goal. Gregoire could have provided this perspective.
“Only 56 days” is a statement so ironic and brutally cavalier when converted into effort toward clients. For me, it captured the futility Boeing faced in negotiating with the IAW, and with our fair state. Fifty-six days is only 1.27 man-millenia plus, 0.6 man-millenia at time and a half — conservatively.
Matthew Kelly
Everett
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.