The IAM scored a major win in its complaint that Boeing Co. unjustly fired workers at its North Charleston, S.C. campus for support of the union.
A National Labor Relations Board regional director recently concluded there’s merit to the IAM’s charges that Boeing South Carolina officials violated federal labor law when they fired the workers shortly after the union won a representation election there. The director’s finding advances the cases to trial in front of an administrative law judge.
BIG NEWS: @Boeing has been found GUILTY of firing workers for their support of the IAM in South Carolina. #BeBetterBoeing https://t.co/n3sFc3f0Fj
— Machinists Union (@MachinistsUnion) August 19, 2019
The regional director’s findings is a major first victory in the IAM’s unfair labor practice (ULP) charges filed with the NLRB. These stem from Boeing’s anti-union tactics at the North Charleston campus and reluctance to sit down and negotiate a labor contract.
2/3 We call on @Boeing to immediately reinstate our members, sit down now to negotiate a contract with its Flight Line employees, end its scorched-Earth anti-union campaign and get back to the business of working with the @MachinistsUnion to build aircraft. #BeBetterBoeing
— Robert Martinez Jr. (@IAMBobMartinez) August 19, 2019
“This ruling is a landmark first step to victory for workers at Boeing South Carolina,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “Boeing has continuously and systematically ignored the law and trampled on the rights of its own employees in South Carolina. We call on Boeing to immediately reinstate our members, sit down now to negotiate a contract with its Flight Line employees, end its scorched-Earth anti-union campaign and get back to the business of working with the IAM and our members to build aircraft.”
You can do your part to help us get these IAM members back to on the job. We urge you to keep the pressure on Boeing officials by signing the petition urging reinstatement of the workers and negotiation of a first labor contract.
The IAM in May 2018 won an NLRB election to represent 176 Flight Line workers at the facility. Boeing is challenging the election results despite the Regional Director’s ruling that the collective bargaining group of 176 Flight Line workers meets the requirements of an appropriate unit under the National Labor Relations Act.
Several publications wrote about the IAM’s ULP victory. Many elected officials also turned to social media this week to laud the victory and urge Boeing to reinstate the fired workers.
I urge @Boeing to reinstate those workers and immediately recognize the union that employees voted to form over a year ago.
All workers have the right to form a union free from harassment or retaliation. I stand with the @MachinistsUnion workers at Boeing in South Carolina #1u
— Rep. Mark Pocan (@repmarkpocan) August 19, 2019
This adds to several elected officials from across the country already joining the IAM in calling on Boeing to negotiate with its Flight Line workers and raising questions about Boeing’s repeated practice of fabricating safety violations to retaliate against union supporters at its South Carolina plant.
The IAM represents more than 35,000 Boeing employees at 24 locations nationwide.