Boeing Created Jobs for 8500 Americans. Now a Union Thinks the Right to Work Doesn’t ‘Work’
Currently, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) is making a push for employees of the Boeing plant in South Carolina – a right to work state – to become fully unionized. Those workers will vote on unionization on April 22.
The Boeing plant, which began operations in 2011, employs about 7,500 people, many of whom work on the new 787 Dreamliner, a state of the art passenger jet.
Below is an aerial shot of Boeing’s absolutely massive facility in South Carolina, which directly and indirectly supported an estimated 8,500 jobs and made $5.8 million dollars in charitable donations in South Carolina alone.
Image Credit: Boeing
However, the positive economic benefits South Carolina has seen from the influx of manufacturing could be severely dampened in the case of unionization. For instance, if the Boeing workers who may simply desire to make a paycheck for his or her family end up voting to unionize, they will face harsh pressures in the case of a strike.
To give you an idea of how IAM could treat the Boeing workers, the following is an excerpt from a 2004 IAM union strike manual, defining a worker who would forego a strike in order to receive a paycheck:
Interestingly, foreign auto makers, whom many folks accuse of decimating the American auto industry, are flocking to America's right-to-work states. BMW in South Carolina, Volkswagon in Tennessee, Mercedes in Alabama, etc, and hiring thousands of American workers. On the other hand, several American auto makers are building plants in Mexico to take advantage of non-unionization and low wages. No doubt the manufacturers all benefit from these moves, as do their stockholders. So, you tell me, are these trends good for America, bad for America or neutral?
ReplyDeleteConsidering that South Carolina's port of Charlestown was essentially off the map for 110 years following the war between the States they have done a great job attracting world class business. BMW, Michelin, Boeing,,,
DeleteUpon the completion of I-95 in the early 70's they have made an astounding comeback. Right to work is a huge part of this renaissance.
Of course they flock to right to work states.
DeleteThey prefer the low wages of the south not to mention the reality that US taxes are high on profits. Manufacturing in the US allows foreign corporations to write off all the expenses and lower their tax burden. A perfect solution.
"Manufacturing in the US allows foreign corporations to write off all the expenses and lower their tax burden. "
DeleteWait, I thought only America had crippling corporate tax laws that forced corporations to offshore everything.
DeleteIf Toyota only imports auto's ans sells them in the US, they have a tax to pay to the states and the US government.
Toyota builds autos in the south, pays 15 bucks an hour with some benefits. Toyota can then write off the state taxes as they can when importing autos. They can now write off the facility, the labor and benefits and claim to be an American auto company.
Think they assemble autos in the US to be nice to the US or is it a profit decision?
Bad move for America and Americans..
DeletePersonally I've had mixed emotions over the years,of what a union can and can't do. Then again you've got manufacturing which is business only caring about profit. One thought that always comes to mind with me isn't that business shouldn't make a profit because they should but they should take care of the employees,who helped them to make a profit as well.
DeleteAnd all those good businesses end up costing everybody who lives here. The workers may not be making WalMart wages but they're far below the employees who are protected by a union working for the same companies. They do not receive the same level of benefits or health and safety protections. And we would have more 'good' business in this state if our last governor (now ambassador to the UN) hadn't told companies that they couldn't come here if they were going to let a union in.
DeleteUnions are no less driven by money than the corporations they criticize.They only go after big bucks. If they cared about people, they would look into the health care industry where salaried workers get NO overtime (nurses at 60 hour weeks w/o add compensation) or sales & food services industries kept under full time to skip benefits requiring multi low skill jobs to afford living. Also, no O.T. for holiday work for unskilled part timers. These industries are complicit in US welfare growth as workers are paid less for working longer, no capital growth among workers so middle class shrinks.
ReplyDeleteHere here!
DeleteThere is such thing as a nurses union fyi..
DeleteI've worked at the Boeing SC plant since mid-2010, nearly seven years. They NEED a union. Boeing SC has a history of ignoring their own corporate policies regarding fair dealing with employees, and though it has improved in the last couple of years, there is still plenty of abuse. Boeing, like many corporations, are in a "take it back" mode with their employees, and in fact the previous CEO, Jim McNerney, bragged about hos scared he had the employees. Unions can't stop the take-aways (pensions being one of the biggest recently), but they can slow the process down, and they give the unfairly treated employees a process to complain that the company management can't just ignore whenever they feel like it.
ReplyDeleteThere is certainly a danger of unions abusing their positions, but corporations are doing that more and more now that the unions are either nonexistent or practically toothless.
Unions are a business and are in it for one thing, the many.
DeleteAt one time the union had a striking fund to pay members minimal benefits. Today they use the money for great pay and benefit package for themselves. They use what's left for political campaigns.
So sad that you as a Boeing worker are falling for the Union promises...You NNEED a UNION...I think not...you have a job, this is a right to work state. Boeing came her because they wanted, and it is their right, to get away from the unions. Had we had Unions here, they would never had built here and you would have no job. Be thankful for work and stop trying to micro manager your employer...NO UNION....NO UNION...NO UNION...ps...I do not work for nor am I affiliated with Boeing...just a thankful citizen...thankful they came in a time of need and provided jobs for our people...do not slap them in the face and be ungrateful
DeleteI am a Boeing employee and have been here since 2007 when we were Vought and Global Aeronautica. This being said Vought voted in this same union and wound up losing everything. The poor employees were left with no benefits whatsoever. Yea thats right this same union hosed a dozen employees to accept a worthless contract just to get a toe hold in the area. Now who do you think they care about. Be smart and vote "NO" on February 15th.
DeleteI agree with you. I was there as a temp for EIGHT days on time everyday and the manager didn't like me and a few others she called the temp service and lied on me and said I refused the shift I was contracted to do.
Deletebad move--Unions suck for the country if you ask me..
ReplyDeleteThe next time you have a paid holiday or you have to rely on your health insurance. Thank a union member. The benefits we have as employees are there because of the unions. They say history repeats itself. The way corporations are treating their employees now will cause history to repeat itself. The blue collar worker will only take or give so much before he says no more. The only question now is how long will it be before we say enough is enough!
ReplyDeleteThank you 1930's unions,but Boeing gives us paid holidays already, along with many other benefits. They were needed years ago. Like we used to need horses to get to town for supplies, well we got cars now, horses not needed. Unions are not needed today, time to put them out to pasture. Or better yet, keep them out. You so unhappy why don't you get out?
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DeleteWell gee, thank you. You also indirectly have had laws and regulations put in place to ensure the labor force is treated fairly. If the day comes when we at BSC are underpaid, treated poorly, benefits being stripped, vacations taken and any other outrageous claims made against our site actually comes true, then you can try and pass your misleading promises of buckets of gold for a yes vote. Until then, please leave after the election. I still think we have plenty who see the true colors of the IAM and confident your wasting your money aND our time yet again.
DeleteThanks and the 15th can't come soon enough.
Go ahead and vote the union in and when you go out on strike and they shut the company down and u receive no unemployment benefits let's here u cry then unions suck the life from company's and the employees and are only out it place for someone that is lazy and don't want to work in the first place but still wants a pay check my brother works in a aluminum plant in WV where a union is and they shut the plant down for 2 years on strike and when they did accept a contract was working again for less then 6 months and went back out on strike I think if you vote a union in they should just fire everyone in the plant and move it somewhere else then where are u going to work
DeleteAs a sole proprietor who owns their own business, I take vacation days when ever I chose and I celebrate the holidays when I chose.
ReplyDeleteI chose when to work and who I will assist when they need help.
Haven't been an employee for over 10 years. I did have 7 employees who are no longer with me as the cost of employees was far to high. I now make what I chose to make and pay for my own befits.
When your family is counting on you to work for financial support and a union stikes who is gonna pay the bills? All Unions should not be able to strike. When you feel your not being treated fairly and you can't come to an agreement you should go to arbitration not walk out. Where are all the dues going to go? The unions put money into politicians pockets many of whom you may not agree with. Union leaders put some of that money in their pockets making more money than the people they say they are there to help.I am part of a union in SC and I can tell you it's alot harder to get out of a union than it is to get in to one. Every time we get a new contract the workers always lose. I am tired of my money padding the pocket of people I don't agree with or paying for a huge convention I wont go to because I got a job to do and bills to pay.
ReplyDeleteUnions suck the life blood from honest people for no other reason than to give their managment money they don't earn
ReplyDeleteI can't stand that if I go to a union state that I can't work unless I join and pay dues to an union and loose seniority that's bs
ReplyDeleteOr perhaps you should seek out employers that offer benefits.
ReplyDeleteI managed a work group and they were non union. Th employees had management benefits with management matching 401K and retirement. They were paid 30-40% more than similar union jobs.
I had very little turn over.
Not sure why people feel so entitled. People tend to forget that you dont slap the hand that feeds you. Show a little loyalty to a great company that has given you the means to have a career and give you the ability to provide for your family.
ReplyDeleteI just changed jobs (my choice) after 17 years with my previous employer. Both companies have no union, both companies have good wages and benefits, and both have a good work environment. The sentiment in my last place of employment among the workers was NO UNION. I haven't even heard the word where I am now. My Dad was in an IAM shop when I was a kid. I remember the mess that was. I remember the thuggery. No thanks.
ReplyDeletePosted as an earlier reply but I want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to read it so I'm posting it again.
ReplyDeleteI am a Boeing employee and have been here since 2007 when we were Vought and Global Aeronautica. This being said Vought voted in this same union and wound up losing everything. The poor employees were left with no benefits whatsoever. Yea thats right this same union hosed a dozen employees to accept a worthless contract just to get a toe hold in the area. Now who do you think they care about. Be smart and vote "NO" on February 15th.
The "right to work law" in South Carolina also means an employer can release a person from employment for NO probable cause.TRY DISPUTING IT and in MOST cases the former employee will LOSE.
ReplyDeleteDo your research that has nothing to do with "right to work". RTW is about union's Being released for no cause is protected under "at will employment". Most employers have employees sign that they agree with their at will employment policy.
Deletemy dad worked for smith and nephew a union shop in lachine quebec, they told every one the next union contract will have no retirement and no medical dental or eye car benifits.so if you want them retire now before the end of the current contract, they were also trying to reduce staff and this was an incentive.so about 50 people did every one was supposed to use all outstanding vacation and sick leave before the last day of the contract. hr conveintly screwed every one of the retires tell them the wrong days and forcing them into the next year and the new contract for there retirement date. long story short the union told the company to honor what they had said and admit to the mistake or in this case a deliberate action to not have to pay retires. the union told the company they 2 days to make a desecion or the plant would be on strike until they honored what they told the retiring employees. This plant was filling a contract that only they could handle and it had a hard deadline. The president of the plant investigated called all the retires and the union reps into a meeting said all promises would be honored and all back pay from the one week strike would be paid. What happened to smith and nephew hr a manger and a clerk were dimissed for the error, the head hr person at the plant was promoted and moved to memphis to the head office. who says unions dont work for the people. there is a place for them alot of people disagree. But look at the above example companies do what is good form them and the sahreholders these days
ReplyDeleteI worked for Boeing in Seattle for 35 years , now Retired. The IAM is not a Union for the employees , it's a business !!! Our problems were Shop Stewarts , the laziness people on this PLANET. Very disruptive people who will have the Union Strike over foolishness. I was told by Union Officials that they will back there Stewards NO MATTER WHAT. If you think Management is a threat ,a Steward is worse. What people don't realize is a Steward can get you fired or make life VERY uncomfortable to cause you to QUIT or GET FIRED. The Union will determine if you are HIERD OR FIRED.
ReplyDeletePeople look at the BIG PICTURE , instead of a promise of better wages. I guarantee after your first strike you'll see how a big mistake you made.
Also , while you're on strike for a minimum of 45 days with NO PAY reality will set in ( TOO LATE ). Plus EVERY UNION OFFICIAL DO NOT SACRIFICE THEIR PAY FOR YOU. They live life as if it's all good while you go with out.
Thanks for sharing your experience and hopefully the employee's here at BSC will heed your words.
DeleteIf y'all think the union is.such a great thing...go to Georgetown and talk to those who worked (past tense)at the steel plant about how the Union made life BETTER for them....the union action turned Georgetown into a ghost town
ReplyDelete