this post was submitted on 16 Sep 2024
308 points (99.0% liked)

News

23266 readers
3812 users here now

Welcome to the News community!

Rules:

1. Be civil


Attack the argument, not the person. No racism/sexism/bigotry. Good faith argumentation only. This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban. Do not respond to rule-breaking content; report it and move on.


2. All posts should contain a source (url) that is as reliable and unbiased as possible and must only contain one link.


Obvious right or left wing sources will be removed at the mods discretion. We have an actively updated blocklist, which you can see here: https://lemmy.world/post/2246130 if you feel like any website is missing, contact the mods. Supporting links can be added in comments or posted seperately but not to the post body.


3. No bots, spam or self-promotion.


Only approved bots, which follow the guidelines for bots set by the instance, are allowed.


4. Post titles should be the same as the article used as source.


Posts which titles don’t match the source won’t be removed, but the autoMod will notify you, and if your title misrepresents the original article, the post will be deleted. If the site changed their headline, the bot might still contact you, just ignore it, we won’t delete your post.


5. Only recent news is allowed.


Posts must be news from the most recent 30 days.


6. All posts must be news articles.


No opinion pieces, Listicles, editorials or celebrity gossip is allowed. All posts will be judged on a case-by-case basis.


7. No duplicate posts.


If a source you used was already posted by someone else, the autoMod will leave a message. Please remove your post if the autoMod is correct. If the post that matches your post is very old, we refer you to rule 5.


8. Misinformation is prohibited.


Misinformation / propaganda is strictly prohibited. Any comment or post containing or linking to misinformation will be removed. If you feel that your post has been removed in error, credible sources must be provided.


9. No link shorteners.


The auto mod will contact you if a link shortener is detected, please delete your post if they are right.


10. Don't copy entire article in your post body


For copyright reasons, you are not allowed to copy an entire article into your post body. This is an instance wide rule, that is strictly enforced in this community.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Boeing bosses are staring down the barrel.

The twists and turns of the past week paint a picture of managers badly wrong-footed by the depth of fury among workers who tossed out a 25% pay rise deal and launched strike action.

"They probably didn't think that we had enough people for the strike," Kushal Varma, a Boeing mechanic, told Reuters. "But this is a movement of people who are willing to put their livelihoods on the line to get what's fair."

top 43 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

The Reuters authors are far too generous to corporate leadership. No, the bosses weren't blindsided. No, the bosses weren't surprised. All of the demands and expectations are ones you would predict.

This kind of situation is exactly when strikes happen, and if anyone in management wasn't prepared for it, they're unqualified for their job. Or they're liars. Or both.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago

How the fuck are the bosses blindsided by this? I read about this shit on the Internet days ago. It'll be cheaper to just pay them then fuck up your production lines and have to mitigate a PR disaster. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Does anyone have concrete info on the offer and why it was rejected? Reading between the lines, it sounds like some of the issues were:

  • 24% is a lot, but doesn't bring them back to where they were 16 years ago when their last general wage deal happened
  • Contract reduces or removes performance incentives, which might reduce take-home pay overall
  • Some employees are mad that their pension was taken away a decade ago
  • They don't trust Boeing to keep it's promise about building the next commercial jet in the region

Anything else?

[–] [email protected] 19 points 1 month ago (1 children)
  1. The 25% raise is actually a 13% raise then 4% more each year. This barely keeps up with the rate of inflation and isn't a real raise. They are also trying to increase the rate at which they cap out their pay.

  2. They are trying to fight the mandatory overtime which is understandable.

  3. Yes the pension they definitely want their pensions back.

  4. This is all about job security. They don't want Boeing to make a plant somewhere else where it'll be cheaper to pay the employees and such.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

Reminder for every American reading #1:

If you are not making 30% more than you made in 2020 you got a paycut.

[–] [email protected] 24 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I hope they demand the resignation of the entire C suite

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

And the revocation of their golden parachutes.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 1 month ago (1 children)

This is going to get complicated. I'm thinking for example that there may be some time sensitive items that are part of the building process and which would need to be restarted to be able to continue. Kind of like university classes, of you miss one they force you to pay for another year or quarter to take the class. There's gotta be stuff like glues, assemblies, safety checks, long lead items, etc that are gonna be painful to Boeing just to restart the process.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago

Doesn't bode well for them...

You know, along with all the other news about Boeing in the last 5 years...

Honestly, I think it's time to throw in the towel. Maybe go into support and service mode for all their existing products, and just not develop anything new.

[–] [email protected] 42 points 1 month ago

Boeing execs said they held nothing back. The union members took that to be threatening. I genuinely wonder how much profit was actually reserved and how much executive comp is still available to drop into the pool. To me, “holding nothing back” means the company genuinely cannot to fund anything else without going into the red. Holding nothing back means fat was cut, executive pay was reduced, and shareholders understand their dividends are gone because the people that make them money need to get some too. Holding nothing back means some rainy day assets are sold and corporate, non-union members experience some austerity (granted you have to remain competitive so as to not lose your value creators so you can’t cut everything or they’d leave; executives are almost never value creators so they can have austerity measures). Holding nothing back means jobs could be cut if more hardship appears.

Something tells me Boeing was holding stuff back with that offer. It could be all the deferred stock executives have or the lack of shareholder expectation management. Not sure! We’ll never know.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago

The way that headline was worded I was hoping there was an actual fight between desk jockeys and wrench monkeys.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Boeing killed John Barnett

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

And through neglect, hundreds more in crashes.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

“The cost of doing business” - Boeing

[–] [email protected] 48 points 1 month ago (2 children)

When all powerful bosses who think they control everything and everyone realize who has the most power.

Good for the workers .... now watch government lackies step in to support big business.

Whatever happens it should show the country that solidarity matters ... hopefully it spreads everywhere else.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 month ago

I'm trying to imagine how T**** would try to handle this. First, extort Boeing execs in exchange for help. Then, once the "donations" clear, use all powers and pressures to crush the strike, firing so-called strike leaders (illegal? add it to the pile...), and dump in more police/military for intimidation.

Bernie and progressives will undoubtedly fully support workers, join the line. Biden can strengthen his "most pro-union president" legacy (it's a low bar, not perfect). Great opportunity for Harris and Walz (but it needs to be very strong or it will only disappoint).

bothsides.jxl

[–] [email protected] 15 points 1 month ago (2 children)

If the government steps in, I expect them to make the point to bosses - "fix this. We aren't undermining labor and your company is of national import. Unfuck your shit, it's not our problem and it isn't theirs. Figure it out."

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Just like when biden sided with the rail workers right??? Ooo wait.... he told them to get back to work or get arrested....

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Biden got the rail workers what they asked for, this isn't quite right.

https://ibew.org/media-center/Articles/23Daily/2306/230620_IBEWandPaid

"We’re thankful that the Biden administration played the long game on sick days and stuck with us for months after Congress imposed our updated national agreement,” Russo said. “Without making a big show of it, Joe Biden and members of his administration in the Transportation and Labor departments have been working continuously to get guaranteed paid sick days for all railroad workers."

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Sick days was only a part of what they wanted. Extremely disingenuous to make it out like all their demands were met. I think trump can get fucked, but to ignore the issues with dem leadership is to enable their poor behavior.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Can you provide me some more information about this? Because you made it sound like Biden was sitting in the Oval Office rubbing his hands together, waiting to tell these workers to get fucked, which IS disingenuous, when the OBEW themselves have issues this statement. I'm not a rail worker, they are, I'm going to listen to what they're telling me about their experience.

Unless that's you, you're an IBEW worker affected by this deal, I'm not gonna do a 'trust me bro' on this.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I stated facts. Ones that you can easily verify with an internet search. What you read into my words is not of my concern. While you sit there thinking I have ill intent towards biden, I don't. I voted for him and was prepared to again. It doesn't change what he did and turning a blind eye to someone's actions because of their party affiliation is why America is slipping in the wrong direction. Accountability for all.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That's now how Biden works, at least in regards to the train strike. He prefers to hope he can convince the capitalists when there is no pressure and in secret. Somehow it seemed to actually work, though I'm pretty sure the workers didn't get a lot of what they wanted.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Somehow it seemed to actually work

Tell that to East Palestine. Train derailments are on the rise because of lax safety measures, and this was one of the issues that the workers were trying to resolve. Instead Biden had congress force them back to work.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I vaguely recall he got some concessions. But agree it is a travesty and still extremely under regulated.

[–] [email protected] 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)
[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Some very sad person regularly downovtes all of the posts in my history. 🤷‍♂️

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Hell yeah. Glad you’ve got a lover. Imagine taking time outta your day to give some rando a downvote 😆😆

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Lmfao. They got me. 😨

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Why exactly is this headline presenting this as a problem?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago

Because they are not an unbiased source of information and they are pushing a narrative. Even if it is unintentional in this particular article.

[–] [email protected] 35 points 1 month ago (1 children)

On the one hand, I am glad this is finally happening.

On the other hand, I am 99% certain my father, who's worked at variously the Everett and Renton plants his entire adult life, is continuing to be a scab, as he has also done his entire adult life.

Raised me on Rush Limbaugh, last I talked to him he was a Q Anon nut that believed Antifa did Jan 6th and Tom Hanks' son rapes and kills children for their adrenochrome.

The 1% uncertainty is not from a 1% chance he might actually also be striking, its the 1% chance he's either retired or died from a heart attack since I last spoke to him.

Either way, fuck Boeing.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

There's a lot to unpack there...

Well that sounds frustrating as hell. And hey, I know a rando on the Internet has no business commenting on your relationship with parents, but all the same, I'm sorry man, that sucks. I hope he can find a way to change.

[–] [email protected] 26 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Honestly, I won't hold it against IAM leader Holden too much. Boeing would stall and give shitty and completely worthless offers, then at the last minute double the largest point of contention (wage), so it looked fine from the lens of bargaining trade-offs.

Still, the workers are right to put this offer into the trash bin, sending a clear message to IAM leaders they have far more leverage, and to Boeing management that union members have lost all patience for their penny-pinching.

[–] [email protected] 110 points 1 month ago (1 children)

“Oh no, the consequences of our own actions!”

[–] [email protected] 30 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The scientific term for this is the "find out phase"

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago

Time for a government bailout!

[–] [email protected] 82 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Awww. Those poor bosses. They might have to make some hard choices; kind of like the people they employ who may have to choose between food or rent.

I realize airline mechanics make half decent money, but still. No sympathy (Edit: for Boeing, if that wasn't completely clear).

Now, a proverb a Russian I met early in my career told me: every man is the architect of their own hemhroids I swear the guy was the next Pushkin

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago

Lol wut?

I gotta understand that aphorism better...

But, agree on all points.