In a contentious escalation of a wage dispute, Boeing has shut out around 125 of its private firefighters in the Seattle region, effectively preventing them from attending to emergencies at its aircraft manufacturing plants. Instead, the company has brought in replacement workers. According to KING 5, the standoff began after union firefighters' contracts lapsed without a new agreement on pay, prompting picket lines to form outside the Renton facility since early Saturday.
The union, representing Boeing's firefighter personnel, is pressing for up to 50% salary increases, citing the need for employee retention and seeking parity with the compensation of city firefighters where Boeing's plants are situated. The company has resisted these demands, locking out firefighters and also affecting a facility roughly 170 miles away in central Washington, where they serve as crucial first responders despite failed negotiations involving a federal mediator, this information reported by MarketWatch.
Local I-66, representing the Boeing firefighters, has been vocal about the disparities in pay and career progression compared to municipal fire departments, where the highest pay grade can be achieved within three to four years. By contrast, Boeing wants to extend the length of service from 14 to 19 years before a worker can earn the top salary. A staggering 80% of the union voted down previous contract offers, with the proposed compensation labeled 20% below industry standards, as reported by MyNorthwest.
In response to the labor action, Boeing contended, claiming, "Our contract offer includes a highly competitive market-based compensation package that is aligned with industrial fire departments," and adding, "The union repeatedly attempts to apply municipal fire department standards to Boeing’s industrial fire department despite the statement of work being completely different," which Boeing notes in a statement that their staffing levels exceed safety standards applicable to industrial fire departments this argument according to MyNorthwest.
Edward Kelly, the International Association of Firefighters General President, sharply criticized Boeing's actions, stating, “Boeing has decided to lockout our members and the safety of the Washington facilities has been needlessly put at risk,” lambasting what he perceives as a prioritization of "corporate greed over safety," in a statement obtained by KING 5.
