The following is written by a Boeing machinist who was on the front lines in the recent strike action. They were sick of being treated like disposable tools, sick of planes falling out of the sky, and had just been given new contract details that would really break them. They fought for their jobs, their lives, and their pride.
So you are new and you don’t have any money saved up to get you through a strike. Maybe this is your first well-paying job and you are worried more about your performance than what has been going on during contract negotiations. Understandable.
If you are not new to the company and the union, and you’ve become complacent and content with what you have, or you just don’t feel like you have the energy to fight a battle that isn’t a guaranteed win, I understand that too.
If you are thinking of crossing the picket line and working during a strike, just don’t. It’s an affront to those out there trying to make your job safer, more secure, and fair. Instead, support each other during a labor movement. Step into your grown-up shoes and realize that there are things you should be doing to secure this job for the future. Education goes a long way. Being familiar with your current contract, what is fair and what is unfair, is what gives you a voice. It enables you to stand here with me, and be genuinely excited for something better.
I’ve had some really interesting conversations with people at work in the months leading up to our strike. The people I’ve spoken with come from so many different backgrounds, job titles, places in life, and in the world, that it’s hard to summarize one reason for us all to stand together. One woman I spent lunch with talked about how in her home country, she could never have the opportunities she has now at this company. She was happy with what she was given and was afraid to challenge the company to give her more. She did not want to go on strike, though she told me she had enough savings to make it through.
I asked her if she had kids, since there is a good chance one or more of them would end up at this company as well. I could see the new perspective forming as we talked. Even if we take what we are given and squeak by for now, what happens to the future generations who come to work here? With no contractual progression our wages stagnate, our benefits degrade over time and become more expensive, and we leave this company a far worse place to work for the next generation. I do not know how she felt as we went our separate ways, but I know we both walked away with new renewed insight.
A chat with a group of new hires was enlightening as well. Most had questions that needed answers. They lacked the information and experience necessary to make a plan and make up their minds. Unsure how they felt about a strike so soon after getting a foot in the door, they asked what they would do to get by, how and when will they know the decisions as they were finalized, what should be important to them for the upcoming contract as surveys came around. These were difficult to answer, as it was more about showing them the basics first.
Sign up with a temp agency or line up a seasonal job, attend union meetings, use the Q&A, ask your stewards for clarification on existing contract language. Once those things give you some insight, decide what is most important for you and be ready to fight for it. If they wanted to work here long term, more retirement contributions and job security would be the priority. For those planning to raise a family, great health insurance and benefits such as childcare and continuing education opportunities for their whole family would take the lead. Some of them just wanted to be able to pay rent without having to decide between car insurance or groceries. Pay is always one of the first things to be addressed in a new contract, and that’s what they needed to hear.
I know it seems like a lot. A lot of work, a lot of stress, and unknown obstacles. Remember those times during work when we all whisper to each other about the things that are horribly wrong with big companies.
Your company is no match for the collective backhand of your union.
I will always vote to walk out when my company offers less than I am worth or less than I need to live reasonably and comfortably. I will always be saving money for when this happens, so that I can take the time to rest. If you are unsure of your worth at this company, do the simple math. Is the labor cost of union employees less than 10% of revenue? If so, you are probably underpaid and underappreciated.
I loved being on strike. A certain amount of picket duty is expected, but it never felt like a chore. We had the time to get to know each other around the fires. Laugh at each other over a barbecue and a game of cards. Enjoy the support of the working public and other unions looking to your strike for inspiration. Finding comfort in each other, knowing that we all have the courage of an army to borrow. The comradery and the debates, the signs and jokes, the feeling of us versus them instead of just me versus them. I felt it in the air at the rallies. It does the blood good to boil for the right reasons.
The simplest way I can give you solace and true purpose in this cause is to state the most important fact in any strike. No work, no product, no money. Companies speak money. A strike makes them bleed money. This is the only way to remind them that without you, they fail. Trust me, they must be reminded. Very rarely does a strike fail to gain something better for the workers.
It is comforting to look at the bigger picture. The working class is waking up not just in the US, but all over the world. Almost half a million brave workers were involved in labor stoppages in 2023, the highest amount in 23 years. It’s beautiful to see how a bigger union’s strike and win can affect the suppliers and other satellites of the company. They may see what you’ve accomplished and realize that they deserve better conditions as well. They may join your union and finally have the voice they need to improve their terms. It has an astounding effect on the surrounding businesses and communities. It brings some of the wealth back to the people. At the end of the day, that is the only thing that will save us regular folks and it is very much worth the temporary discomfort of a strike. You will make it through. You will come out stronger.
In all cases, we are fighting not only for ourselves, but for the entire working public, the survival of the middle class, the people. We are standing for all the labor rights ever earned. The beauty of us holding each other up, no matter the industry, no matter our differing goals, is incredible. It is one of the few things that can give us hope and a sense of being on a bigger path. It tells us that we outnumber them. It is something to foster in order to leave better careers for the generation that comes after us.
Following their strike action, they managed to force Boeing to give them a far better contract with far better pay and benefits, but also union oversight on the quality of their work. Planes will now be safer because of them. You and I are less likely to die because of them.
Striking can be scary, but it's very worth while. Never let yourself be taken advantage of because many more will pay the price for your silence.