Date: Wed, 22 Nov 1995 15:43:29 -0600 (CST)
From: Chegitz Guevara <mluziett-AT-shrike.depaul.edu>
Subject: Boeng Boing (fwd)




Marc, "the Chegitz," Luzietti
http://shrike.depaul.edu/~mluziett

I'm not anti-society, society's anti-me
I'm not anti-religion, religion's anti-me
I'm not anti-tradition, tradition's anti-me
I'm not anti-anything, I just want to be free.

Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 22 Nov 1995 11:39:29
From: miballar-AT-leland.Stanford.EDU
To: Recipients of conference <iww-news-AT-igc.apc.org>
Subject: Boeng Boing

From: Michael Ballard <miballar-AT-leland.Stanford.EDU>


FW's,

A class conscious worker up in Seattle gave me permission to
circulate this account.
Mike B)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: 22 Nov 1995 09:04:51 -0800
From: Van Ryn, Bud <bvanryn-AT-dehpost.sphcm.washington.edu>
To: Michael Ballard <miballar-AT-leland.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: RE: TGIFF

The Boeing machinists just voted to reject the company's offer by a large
margin -- 62 to 38 percent.  They've already been out 47 days and are they
ever pissed!  Live teevee coverage of union meetings around town last night
showed snarling, seething knots of workers ready to kick some ass, prepared
to stay out until hell freezes over to get the contract they want.  Boeing
has been shipping jobs to Mexico (surprise, surprise!) where the wage is
$0.75/hr instead of $22.00.  Union leadership recommended acceptance of the
contract but the rank-n-file said "NO!" to them, and to the company.  Not
quite so ironically, it was announced yesterday the Boeing chmn Frank
(Something) got a $2 million bonus.  "Back to the bank, Frank!" is one of the
angry chants filling the air around here.  All this on the heels of yet
another NBC TV report that dredged up and relied upon the same dreary kinds
of numbers that have been public knowledge for too long to make its dramatic
point: 40% of the wealth is owned by 1% of the families....private sector
executives make 140 times the wage of the average middle income
worker....real wages have declined by 7% since 1980....only 11% of the work
force is unionized compared to 22% in 1980....most big U.S. companies
declared record profits during the first three quarters of 1995, up an
average of 200% over 1994...etc., etc., etc.  Boeing is in good financial
shape and I'm afraid in a position to wait until hell actually does freeze
over.  But the workers are adamant about staying on strike and fighting.  All
the classic ingredients of class struggle are on the table in this strike,
and the Boeing machinists are trying desperately to make a stand based on the
strategy of smashing the one big lie the big U.S.-based multinationals have
used to justify their export of jobs, that they don't like doing it, but they
need to do it to compete in the global market.  That may be true for some
companies, and it may be true for all of them somewhere down the road.  But
it sure ain't true now...the profit stats show it ain't.  And the Boeing
machinists know it ain't. Gotta go to a meeting.  Keep your eyes on Seattle. 
Later......................  
Bud












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