Strike pay to kick in for Machinists
Predictions suggest a long haul for Boeing Machinists, who are about to enter the third week of a 27,000 member strike. The chairman and chief executive of Boeing, Jim McNerney claims negotiations are at a standstill. In the mean time, no direct discussions have been arranged, though both parties are meeting privately with a federal mediator. Each side acknowledges the significant variances between them ? leaving no common ground from which to continue talks. The biggest issues in the dispute include job security and outsourcing, though wages, pensions, and medical benefits are also a major concern. The machinists will be eligible to receive their first strike pay check from the union this Saturday.
See "Strike pay to kick in for Machinists", James Wallace, Seattle Post Intelligencer, September 24, 2008