Machinists voting Wednesday on historic contract – future of 737 MAX

Published 4:57 pm Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Thousands of Machinists are voting on an historic contract Wednesday that would ensure Boeing’s 737 MAX is built in Renton.

The voting starts at 5 a.m. at five union halls, including in Renton and Auburn. The voting ends at 6 p.m.; International Association of Machinists District 751 is expecting to post results online between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Although members have asked questions and raised concerns, a Machinist spokesman said ratification is anticipated.

“Our sense is that the contract extension will be ratified, based on what business representatives and stewards are reporting from the factories,” said the spokesman, Bryan Corliss.

Those concerns are mostly about pay and benefits, including retirement, health and incentive pay, Corliss said.

Some Machinists have questioned whether contract approval really binds Boeing to build the 737 MAX in Renton. Boeing officials say it will.

A Boeing spokesman, Tim Healy, said Tuesday the company “is cautiously optimistic” Machinists will approve the contract, based on “the good things” it’s hearing from the union.

“They know their members best,” he said. “They are feeling optimistic. That makes us feel optimistic.”

Boeing has made it clear that approval of the contract extension is necessary if it’s to build the 737 MAX in Renton. That would secure thousands of aerospace jobs in Renton and throughout the state for decades to come.

Boeing has already said it will make the necessary investment to produce Next-Generation 737s and 737 MAXs at its Renton plant if the contract is approved.

Healy can’t give any specifics yet about those investments. Boeing has already made significant investments to ramp up production of Next Generation 737s  to 35 planes a month, a milestone it reached earlier this week, and beyond.

Boeing will increase the 737 rate to 38 airplanes a month in the second quarter of 2013 and to 42 airplanes a month in the first half of 2014.

The City of Renton has already approved those ramp-up improvements and is ready to work with Boeing on what it needs to build the 737 MAX, say city officials who meet regularly with Boeing counterparts.

Those talks include space needs, use of the Renton Municipal Airport and transportation issues.

The Renton City Council Monday night adopted a resolution congratulating Boeing and the Machinists for agreeing to a tentative contract and expressing support for all efforts to strengthen the aerospace industry in Washington state.

“The city confirms its commitment to surpassing the company’s needs and expectations in Renton,” the resolution states.