IAM District 837, part of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union), has issued a statement disputing Boeing’s characterization of recent mediation efforts in ongoing contract negotiations. The union says that contrary to Boeing’s claims that mediation has been ongoing for several weeks, the last meeting with the company and a federal mediator took place on September 29. Since then, no further mediation sessions have occurred.
The union’s statement reads: “While Boeing claims we’ve been engaged in mediation ‘for several weeks,’ that’s simply misleading. The last time we met with the company and the federal mediator was on Sept. 29. Since then, there have been no further mediation sessions.
“Following that meeting, the union submitted a modified version of our pre-ratification settlement offer through the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). Boeing rejected that proposal and instead re-issued the same five-year contract offer that had already been rejected by our membership. They made that same rejected offer contingent on acceptance by a specific deadline, but because it had previously been voted down, it was not brought back for another vote.
“In good faith, we notified Boeing—through FMCS—that the union remains ready to return to mediation with just 24 hours’ notice. As of today, the company has not provided any dates of availability.
“Our goal remains to reach a fair agreement that addresses the issues our members have clearly identified. We continue to stand ready to meet at any time to reach a resolution and end this strike.”
IAM Union represents around 600,000 active and retired members in industries such as aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, rail, transit, healthcare, and automotive across North America. More information about the union can be found at goIAM.org.
