Union leaders and US lawmakers on Monday criticised Boeing's lockout of its unionised firefighters and urged the planemaker to reach a contract deal.
Earlier this month, Boeing locked out about 130 members of
the International Association of Fire Fighters Local I-66 who rejected two
contract offers - a move that last week drew the concern of President Joe
Biden.
At a rally outside Boeing headquarters in Arlington,
Virginia, IAFF President Edward Kelly, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and
Representative Val Hoyle urged Boeing to make a deal.
"We want to get a deal. We just want to be treated
fairly," Kelly told Reuters, who said Boeing wants firefighters to work
nearly 20 years before reaching top pay but added he is hopeful talks will soon
resume.
“If they can break us and set a pattern, that will then
translate into the contract of the larger unions. That’s where the real savings
are.”
Hoyle, a Democrat, said she hopes Boeing will come to the
table and “do the right thing. They prioritise safety and they invest in their
workforce.”
On social media, Democratic Senator John Fetterman said
Monday “Boeing should focus on keeping critical safety workers and paying
dignified wages, particularly given their recent safety and quality control
issues where these safety workers may be needed.”
Boeing, which did not immediately comment Monday, said last
week its contract offer to increase firefighters’ average take-home pay from
$91,000 to $112,000 in the first year remains on the table.
“We remain committed to securing an agreement,” Boeing
said.
“The union should allow our employees to vote (on) our
offer, which was presented before the lockout.” The International Association
of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is separately negotiating a new
contract on behalf of over 30,000 workers who build Boeing’s 737 MAX jets, at a
time when the planemaker needs to ramp up production.
Shuler said Boeing “is looking to establish a pattern and if
we can start here with the firefighters it might trickle over to a bigger
impact with another union.”
She added having skilled firefighters was crucial for
Boeing. “What makes the company safer ultimately makes the company more trusted
and more profitable,” Shuler said.
Boeing 737 MAX jetliner production has fallen sharply as US regulators step up factory checks following a blowout on a new Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in January, blamed on an assembly error.