Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

Boeing

By Robert Engel

Boeing workers on the picket line.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

Seattle, WA – At 8 p.m., September 22, at the Boeing 2-122 building, striking machinists held down the round-the-clock picket line.

“We’re asking for more than they’re offering,” said Shane Vanpelt, a Boeing machinist and IAM member. He said that Boeing is “gonna lay everyone off, well, you’re going to have layoffs anyways. We know this because we know Boeing’s history, and if nothing else, they’re predictable. They’re going to lay people off regardless, but that’s not up to us. What’s up to us is trying to get the best deal possible for everyone, so we’ve got no choice but to strike.”

Read more...

By staff

Seattle, WA – At 12:00 a.m. on Friday, September 13, around 33,000 Boeing workers walked off the job and began a strike. The Boeing workers are represented by the International Association of Machinists (IAM) and were in negotiations with the airplane manufacturing giant for their next union contract. Negotiations broke down and the strike began after 95% of the IAM members at Boeing voted to reject the employer’s proposal for a four-year contract, and 96% voted to begin a strike. This is the first strike at Boeing in 16 years.

Read more...

By staff

Pro-Palestine protesters march and chant to a drumbeat at Boeing anniversary event.  | Staff/Fight Back! News

New Orleans, LA – On Monday, July 15, protesters crashed Boeing’s anniversary celebration to demand that the aviation corporation stop arming Israel. That evening, Boeing celebrated its 108th year at the National WWII Museum’s “US Freedom Pavilion: Boeing Center.” Activists rallied outside and expressed disgust with the corporation.

Read more...

By staff

Pro-Palestine protesters shut down weapons maker in Gresham, Oregon. | Fight Back! News/staff

Gresham, OR – On April 9, PDX for Palestine staged a demonstration, effectively blocking access to Boeing, a major weapons manufacturer. They voiced their demand for an immediate end to U.S. aid to Israel.

“Boeing has directly contributed to the death of Palestinians and the destruction of Palestine by supplying bombs since and long before October 7,” stated Kacey DeSantis, a member of PDX for Palestine.

Read more...

By staff

St. Louis, MO – Around 2500 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) who work for Boeing in Illinois and Missouri voted down a contract offer from management on July 24. They have set a date to begin a strike on August 1.

Read more...

By staff

Washington, DC – Five instances of company discipline and unjust terminations of International Association of Machinists (IAM) members at Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner manufacturing facility in North Charleston, South Carolina have been found to be acts of unlawful retaliation against employees for their support of the union, a regional director for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) informed the IAM, on August 19.

Read more...

By staff

Kait McIntyre (center) at Feb. 29 press conference.

Chicago, IL – At a Feb. 29 press conference held in front of the Boeing Company Headquarters, Kait McIntyre, former Boeing board candidate and member of the Anti War Committee (Chicago) spoke on the decision of the Securities and Exchange Commission forcing Boeing to allow a shareholder vote on a resolution that would force the corporation to detail its arms sales to Israel. Gwen Farey of 8th Day Center and the Midwest Coalition of Responsible Investment also spoke at the event.

Read more...