MY EVERETT NEWS

All votes are done in person at the machinists hall. Voting ends at 6pm this evening

18,000 machinists are expected to cast their vote today at the IAM 751 Union Hall at Airport Road and Kasch Park Road across from the Everett Boeing Plant. Shortly before 6am I spoke with Mark Clark, a union member and site co-chair for voting.”The Everett Police are out here doing a gresat job with traffic control.” Clark said, “We have members helping with parking and lots of employees are walking over from the plant.” Clark told me the biggest crush will probably be between 10am and 3pm as employees vote on their way to and from 1st and 2nd shift as well as during lunch. The voting will continue at the Everett Hall until 6pm. Then the ballots will be taken to Seattle for counting with the other Union halls from the region. An announcement on the outcome is expected around 9pm this evening. if the union ratifies the contract the 737 Max will be made in Renton, there will be a $5000 bonus for machinist union members and annual raises but they will have to begin paying health care premiums.

Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson sees major impact on Boeing supply chain

During last night’s city council meeting Everett Mayor Ray Stehpanson congratulated the Boeing Company and the Machinists Union on coming to a surprise extension of their labor agreement. After the meeting I asked the mayor about the significance of the deal for Everett. “The city can do a lot of things for Boeing like taxes, infrastructure, business development and permitting but we don’t have any influence on their relationship with the union,” said Stephanson. “This agreement is a huge step forward between the two sides and for Everett it means that companies involved in the supply chain for Boeing now have a stable environment to move forward on expansion, investment in new equipment, hiring and relocating to Everett.” Stephanson told me he really thought the labor agreement was as big if not bigger in significance than the delivery of the new Dreamliner. If approved as expected next Wednesday, the agreement should prove to be a shot in the arm for Everett business owners as 30 days after ratification, machinist union members will each receive a $5000.00 bonus from Boeing.

Click the building above for the proposed contract extension

As part of the agreement between Boeing and IAM 751 to keep the production of the new 737 Max in Renton, Everett workers will have to ratify a four year contract extension. If that happens, employees will receive a $5000.00 signing bonus. Here’s the proposed contract extension from the IAM 751 website. The vote is scheduled for next Wednesday December 7th, at locations throughout the Puget Sound including the Everett Union Hall at 8729 Airport Road from 5am – 6pm. The union is recommending ratification and if so, that would relieve a major economic threat from Everett as there would be no possibility of a strike at the Everett Boeing plant next September. That may be a real shot in Everett’s economy in 2012.

IAM 751 members are getting a raise this month.

Some good news from the Machinists Union in their IAM 751 September newsletter. 4% GWI at Boeing & $0.18 COLA Effective September 2, 2011…

Members at Boeing on the active payroll (or on approved leave of absence for 90 days or less) on September 1, will receive a 4 percent General Wage Increase effective September 2, 2011. In addition, each IAM member at Boeing will receive an additional 18 cents cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) on September 2, 2011 – generated for the quarter May, June and July 2011. The new 18¢ COLA will be added to the base wage prior to calculating the 4% GWI.

NOTE: 4% GWI will be paid as a lump sum for Grade A employees at the maximum rate per LOU #23.

There are several informative items in the monthly District 751 Newsletter. Here’s a reminder about an upcoming Apprenticeship Program.

The IAM/Boeing Joint Apprenticeship Committee will accept applications for Machine Tool Maintenance Mechanic apprenticeships beginning Wednesday, September 14, 2011. The Committee allows for Boeing and Non-Boeing interested parties to apply.

All interested parties must apply to the Boeing Company at http://www.boeing.com/careers/ from Wednesday, September 14, 2011 through Thursday, October 13, 2011 before they will be eligible to receive an apprenticeship application. Upon receipt, applications must be completed and submitted by Friday, November, 19, 2011. Here’s more information about the apprenticeship program.

The Local 751 website is also a great read once in a while in case you need a reminder about all of the community service and giving back that members do in and around Everett.