Benefits July 23, 2001

Admin/Professional Boeing Workers Reject Union

July 23, 2001 (PLANSPONSOR.com) ? A proposal to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751 was rejected by 85% of the nearly 15,500 Boeing employees who voted.

Reported by

Nevin E. Adams

The result was a major victory for Boeing, which had run a vigorous campaign against unionization. Boeing had argued that employees would be better off dealing directly with the company than through a union.

The organizing drive for some 17,000 unaffiliated workers was the largest ever in the Pacific Northwest, according to the IAM, which represents 27,000 Boeing workers. The final tally was 13,142 to 2,329 in favor.

Target Range

The IAM had targeted a group comprised of administrative and professional employees that ran the gamut from clerical assistants to Web designers and financial analysts, none of which had union representation.

A union spokesman quoted by the Seattle Times said the IAM hadn’t decided whether to try again to organize this group. The union would have to wait one full year to file another organizing petition, according to the report.

Each side has seven days to file any formal objections to the vote. If no complaints are received, the National Labor Relations Board will certify the results next week.