Boeing firefighters reject company's contract offer

Boeing firefighter lockout continues Monday

Boeing firefighters remain locked out of facilities as they try to get a new contract.

On Wednesday, Boeing firefighters rejected the company's latest contract offer in union negotiations.

Negotiations for pay increases have been ongoing since mid-February.

Boeing locked out its 125 firefighters and emergency medical workers on May 4 after an agreement with IAFF Local I-66 was not reached.

"Despite their critical work, I-66 members earn up to 30% less than firefighters at nearby fire departments – forcing many Boeing firefighters to leave the company for pay commensurate with their dangerous work and the opportunity to earn family-sustaining wages.
It takes Boeing firefighters 14 years to reach top pay, a threshold only about a quarter of I-66 members ever reach. The company’s latest offer only reduced that by one year, continuing its history of not adequately responding to the Local’s concerns," the union said in a statement.

The union says Boeing firefighters want to return to work, and Local I-66 said it urges Boeing to come to the table with a proposal that seriously addresses safety and retention.

"It’s unfortunate the union’s leadership has continued its pattern of bad faith bargaining. The union earlier accepted and agreed to endorse our strong offer which provides an average of $21,000 in increased take home pay and additional wage increases. Our contingency plan remains in place and ensures that we can provide the same levels of safety and emergency response with highly qualified firefighters indefinitely," Boeing said in a statement.

According to Boeing, the contract offer increased salaries from $91,000 a year to $112,000 a year, on average.

The negotiations have had no impact to operations including production, delivery and flight activity