Angry Machinists could seek leaders’ ouster

  • By Dan Catchpole Herald Writer
  • Thursday, November 14, 2013 8:36pm
  • Business

EVERETT — The turbulence could just be starting for the Machinists union at Boeing, whose members this week overwhelmingly rejected a contract negotiated in secret by the union’s international leaders and company executives.

Rank-and-file members are angry that their local leaders allowed Boeing to force an ultimatum on them: Accept a contract full of concessions, or risk losing the 777X. That ultimatum could lead to a push to oust District 751 leaders, members say. There’s even been talk of leaving the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

“Today is the eye of the hurricane — calm after the storm. But the rest of the storm is coming,” said a rank-and-file representative involved in leading District 751. The representative spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation.

By all accounts, IAM leadership in Washington, D.C., and Boeing representatives kept leaders of Seattle-based District 751 in the dark about the contract talks before presenting the porposal to them less than two weeks ago. The offer called for major concessions — including trading pensions for 401(k) plans and increasing health care costs — in exchange for placing 777X final assembly in Everett and a $10,000 signing bonus, among other promises.

Local union leaders tried to block the Boeing proposal from even being put to a vote by the membership but were overruled by national IAM leaders. The leaders from the East Coast called the shots after that, prohibiting District 751 leaders from speaking publicly about the offer.

District 751’s roughly 32,000 members were caught off guard. It appeared that the local leaders they elected were willing to give up hard-fought economic gains without member consent or similar concessions from labor leaders and Boeing executives.

True, District 751 leaders were excluded from the initial bargaining, but members didn’t see them put up much resistance to the deal that the national union delivered.

“There are some very hard feelings — some of them are mine,” said Paul Veltkamp, a quality inspector on the 747 line in Everett.

Late Wednesday, after the count revealed that union members overwhelmingly rejected the offer, the IAM’s national aerospace coordinator, Mark Johnson, stood to announce the results and was greeted by boos and jeers at District 751’s headquarters in Seattle.

“Maybe for the first time, members in this district have felt that their interests and the international’s interests are not the same,” Veltkamp said. “I don’t know if that’s true. That’s just how people feel.”

Several union members said some in District 751 have even been talking about leaving IAM for another union.

While members’ anger has been largely directed at the international leadership, District 751 leaders, especially President Tom Wroblewski, could face internal challenges.

At one point last week, in front of angry Machinists members, Wroblewski tore up the contract and called it “crap.” But before and after, he was ostensibly neutral, but cast it in a positive light.

“He tore it up Thursday, and taped it back together Friday morning,” the District 751 rank-and-file leader said.

Members might have lost confidence in Wroblewski given his inability to stand up to the international leadership.

“He’s done,” the source said. “I don’t see how he serves out his term.”

Re-elected in 2012, Wroblewski has three more years.

He and other District 751 officials were not talking to media Thursday, according to a district spokesman. It isn’t clear how members can vote out their leaders before their terms end.

“I would’ve followed that man into fire” before the contract offer, said the union member who spoke on condition of not being named.

Issaquah aerospace analyst Scott Hamilton of Leeham and Co. said he has heard the same thing from his Machinists sources, who told him they already have identified a replacement for Wroblewski.

While the long-term economic impact of the dissension isn’t clear, Boeing will benefit, Hamilton said.

Dan Catchpole: 425-339-3454; dcatchpole@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Business

Black Press Media operates Sound Publishing, the largest community news organization in Washington State with dailies and community news outlets in Alaska.
Black Press Media concludes transition of ownership

Black Press Media, which operates Sound Publishing, completed its sale Monday (March 25), following the formerly announced corporate restructuring.

Maygen Hetherington, executive director of the Historic Downtown Snohomish Association, laughs during an interview in her office on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Snohomish, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Maygen Hetherington: tireless advocate for the city of Snohomish

Historic Downtown Snohomish Association receives the Opportunity Lives Here award from Economic Alliance.

FILE - Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs poses in front of photos of the 15 people who previously held the office on Nov. 22, 2021, after he was sworn in at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. Hobbs faces several challengers as he runs for election to the office he was appointed to last fall. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs: ‘I wanted to serve my country’

Hobbs, a former Lake Stevens senator, is the recipient of the Henry M. Jackson Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Mark Duffy poses for a photo in his office at the Mountain Pacific Bank headquarters on Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Mark Duffy: Building a hometown bank; giving kids an opportunity

Mountain Pacific Bank’s founder is the recipient of the Fluke Award from Economic Alliance Snohomish County.

Barb Tolbert poses for a photo at Silver Scoop Ice Cream on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024 in Arlington, Washington. (Annie Barker / The Herald)
Barb Tolbert: Former mayor piloted Arlington out of economic brink

Tolbert won the Elson S. Floyd Award, honoring a leader who has “created lasting opportunities” for the underserved.

Photo provided by 
Economic Alliance
Economic Alliance presented one of the Washington Rising Stem Awards to Katie Larios, a senior at Mountlake Terrace High School.
Mountlake Terrace High School senior wins state STEM award

Katie Larios was honored at an Economic Alliance gathering: “A champion for other young women of color in STEM.”

The Westwood Rainier is one of the seven ships in the Westwood line. The ships serve ports in the Pacific Northwest and Northeast Asia. (Photo provided by Swire Shipping)
Westwood Shipping Lines, an Everett mainstay, has new name

The four green-hulled Westwood vessels will keep their names, but the ships will display the Swire Shipping flag.

A Keyport ship docked at Lake Union in Seattle in June 2018. The ship spends most of the year in Alaska harvesting Golden King crab in the Bering Sea. During the summer it ties up for maintenance and repairs at Lake Union. (Keyport LLC)
In crabbers’ turbulent moment, Edmonds seafood processor ‘saved our season’

When a processing plant in Alaska closed, Edmonds-based business Keyport stepped up to solve a “no-win situation.”

Angela Harris, Executive Director of the Port of Edmonds, stands at the port’s marina on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024, in Edmonds, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Leadership, love for the Port of Edmonds got exec the job

Shoring up an aging seawall is the first order of business for Angela Harris, the first woman to lead the Edmonds port.

The Cascade Warbirds fly over Naval Station Everett. (Sue Misao / The Herald file)
Bothell High School senior awarded $2,500 to keep on flying

Cascade Warbirds scholarship helps students 16-21 continue flight training and earn a private pilot’s certificate.

Rachel Gardner, the owner of Musicology Co., a new music boutique record store on Thursday, Jan. 18, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. Musicology Co. will open in February, selling used and new vinyl, CDs and other music-related merchandise. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New Edmonds record shop intends to be a ‘destination for every musician’

Rachel Gardner opened Musicology Co. this month, filling a record store gap in Edmonds.

MyMyToyStore.com owner Tom Harrison at his brick and mortar storefront on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2022 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Burst pipe permanently closes downtown Everett toy store

After a pipe flooded the store, MyMyToystore in downtown Everett closed. Owner Tom Harrison is already on to his next venture.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.