Boeing machinists strike outside Portland facility

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - Union employees at Boeing's Portland location took to the picket line on Thursday and are demanding what they describe as fair wages, a legitimate retirement plan, and a focus on increasing public safety.

More than 30,000 Boeing machinists have now entered their second week of a strike. This comes as Boeing announced this week that it will furlough thousands of other employees, including executives and managers.

Boeing workers walked off the job last Thursday at midnight after more than 94% rejected an offer by the company.

Boeing and union representatives met with federal mediators on Tuesday to attempt to jump-start negotiations.

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"Their job right now is to get back to the table and get us the contract that we need," said Brandon Bryant, President of IAM District W24.

Bryant and other union leaders said for the last eight years, the 1,300 machinists at the Portland Boeing facility only received a half-percent wage increase each year. But, union leaders also said this strike isn't just about wages. It's also about building world-class airplanes that are safe for the public to fly in.

"The company put profits over their people," Bryant said. "The company put profits over safety. The company puts profits over quality. They're making us make parts that we know are bad and say, 'Just push it down the line. It'll be okay.' That is not okay."

FOX 12 reached out to Boeing for a comment on the ongoing strike and when the company expects negotiations to resume. In an email, Boeing said it didn't have anything to add at this time.

Thursday's rally outside the Portland location was a high-energy atmosphere and union leaders made it clear they won't be backing down anytime soon.

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"You can try all the smoke and mirror games you want to play out there. You can do that," said Brian Bryant, IAM International President, who directed his message to Boeing. "But guess what? All the decisions that you're making to furlough workers, to cut their wages, to even cut your salaries of your corporate executives, [that's] smoke and mirrors."

Union leaders told FOX 12 that negotiations might pick up next week, but nothing is set in stone yet. In the meantime, the machinists are determined to stand their ground.

"You have picked a fight with the wrong group of people, am I right?" said Graham Trainer, President of Oregon AFL-CIO.