Striking Boeing machinists see themselves as fighting for more than just wage increases and good benefits; they are fighting the consequences of globalization. Boeing workers, union leaders and their supporters now wonder whether even the most sophisticated U.S. manufacturing jobs can survive in an increasingly brutal global economy ? and what, if anything, can be done to protect what remains.
See "Strike Is About More Than Pay and Benefits", Evelyn Iritani, Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2005