Boeing threatens to lock out its private firefighters around Seattle in a dispute over pay

livemint.com:

aircraft-manufacturing plants in the Seattle area Friday night unless the workers accept the company's last offer on wages. The company said the two sides were far apart in negotiations. It described the lockout as a precautionary move because the union could go on strike at any time once the current contract expires at midnight local time.

Each side accuses the other of bad-faith negotiating. The labor showdown comes as Boeing deals with mounting losses — more than $24 billion since the start of 2019 — and increased scrutiny over quality and safety in its manufacturing since a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max flying over Oregon in January. On Friday, Boeing dismissed any safety concerns about the dispute with its industrial firefighters.

The company said it has made arrangements with local fire departments, and the lockout will not affect operations at plants where it builds planes. Boeing has about 125 firefighters in the Seattle area and a facility about 170 miles away in central Washington state. They serve as first responders to fires and medical emergencies, and can call in help from local fire departments.

The union says their constant presence lets Boeing get much lower insurance rates. The company says firefighters were paid $91,000 on average last year. Casey Yeager, president of Local I-66 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, said Boeing was proposing raises of 18% to 20% that would still leave crews earning 20% to 30% less than firefighters in the cities where Boeing plants are located.

He said the union is seeking raises of 40% to 50%. A major sticking point is Boeing's demand to make firefighters wait 19 years to hit top pay scale, up from 14 years. The union is