NLRB drops Boeing case
Now Boeing and IAM 751 can get on with the business of building airplanes without distractions.
Categories: Boeing
787 Boeing Charleston, Boeing, IAM 751, NLRB
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Leeham News and Comment
- Comparing the 787, 777-200/300ER and the 777-8/9X May 17, 2013
- Assessing the A350 program May 16, 2013
- Boeing gets launch order for MAX 7 May 15, 2013
- Taking care of business at the airframe OEMs May 15, 2013
- EADS earnings and Airbus A350, A380 updates May 14, 2013
So the IAM magicly made the NLRB suit against the Boeing SC plant go away……. This just proves that Obama’s NLRB is nothing more than a union lapdog.
Oh come on, KC. When a complainant withdraws the complaint, the case is dismissed. Basic jurisprudence.
I know that. I just feel that Boeing found a way to “buy off” the union so they would drop the complaint. This may be good for Boeing, and clearly shows the IAM really wasn’t interested in the non-union jobs in SC. All they were looking for was some job security from Boeing, and before the new contract extension, they thought they had Boeing up against the wall with the complaint to the NLRB. Boeing threw them the job security bone with keeping the B-737MAX FAL in WA. That tells me Boeing is clearly looking at an airplane development program beyond the MAX, and where they will build that airplane. Whether that airplane is the NSA, or another program (B-777X for example) is another question. I have a feeling the SC plant will slowly be geared towards that new airplane and there is nothing the IAM will be able to do about it until the production facility for that airplane is reveiled. Boeing may just be about to sign one of the smartest labor contracts in company history.
The main point is, that if the IAM and Boeing had show the same cooperative
attitude BEFORE, the 787 assembly plant in South Carolina would not even be
there and this whole dispute would have been solved three years ago!
Therefore, my question remains:
Why did the two parties not come to such an obvious agreement earlier, which
would have avoided much agony, bad faith, costs etc.!
Good question, Rudy. We may never know the answer as neither the union or Boeing are willing to tell us without putting their spin on it.
The state of bad relations between Boeing and its unions is the fault of both sides. It’s been said that corporations get the unions they deserve. SPEEA up until 2000 was a good example. It took the arrogance and disrespect of the work force by Stonecipher to turn a puppy dog union into a real force. On the other hand, the IAMs strike in 2008 was just insane. The economy was tanking, and it was very likely that hard times were coming. It was foolish to strike, especially when the contract offered was not a bad deal, and was (for the most part) what they finally approved at the end. All that strike did was create hate and mistrust between the company and the IAM. It was extremely short sighted.
It would be nice if both sides could get together more often and actually WORK together. I think that is what happened in this contract. The fact that it was done early and out of the limelight, that just encourages grandstanding by both sides, is highly encouraging. I certainly hope that it’s a foreshadow of better relations to come. Of course, those relations are a two way street. Respect for both sides is required.