I hired on at Boeing in September 1968. The CPI (Consumer Price Index) was 34.8, according to the U.S. Department Of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. As of July 2008, the CPI was 219.964, a 632 percent increase. Minimum wage in 1968 was $1.75 per hour. A 632 percent increase in the minimum wage would equal $11.06 today. I hired on at $2.525 per hour as a grade 11. The scale is now reversed, so this today would be a grade 1. A 632 percent increase in the starting wage would be $15.958 per hour today for a grade 1. The Boeing Co. is offering $12 per hour for a grade 1 on their “best and final offer.”
Starting wage for a grade 1 is currently $9 per hour, poverty wages.
The International Association of Machinists has suffered takeaways in the last four contracts due to a slumping market for airplanes. This time there is a multi-billion-dollar corporate profit. There is no excuse to not share the wealth with the workers.
More is at stake here than just wages. Boeing is a worldwide, world-class company and a leader in the manufacturing industry. The contract at Boeing sets the stage for all workers, not just the IAM.
Bruce Miller
Lake Stevens
> Give us your news tips. > Send us a letter to the editor. > More Herald contact information.Talk to us
