Monday, May 18, 2015

Washington Machinists claim another victory in string of wins organizing Boeing suppliers



A majority of workers at Boeing (NYSE: BA) supplier Cadence Aerospace-Giddens in Everett have voted to unionize.

The results have not yet been certified by the National Labor Relations Board, but in a release, Machinists District Lodge 751 claimed about 60 percent of the 225 workers at Cadence Aerospace-Giddens voted to join the union.


“We’re more than confident that we have won this election,” said union organizer Jesse Cote.

If the union is successful, it will be the latest in a series of victories among smaller Puget Sound-area companies, many of them Boeing suppliers.

It’s also a bright spot for the union after members reluctantly voted to sacrifice their defined pension plans as a condition for Boeing bringing the 777X jetliner to Everett.

In April, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers backed down on a vote to unionize Boeing’s North Charleston plant, reportedly because union leaders realized they didn’t have enough votes.

But in the Puget Sound region, the union most recently organized Jorgensen Forge, one of the largest forging companies in the region, and recently ratified a contract.

Other local aerospace companies that have unionized include Aim Aerospace, BAE Systems, Hytek Finishes, Pexco and Triumph Composites.

“More and more workers are finding out they want rights that our union does a great job of providing for them on the job,” said IAM 751 President Jon Holden in a statement. “We’re proud to help them organize into a union, so that they can win better futures for themselves and their families.”

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