Boeing workers sent a clear message to the International Association of Machinists (IAM) union Wednesday, voting overwhelmingly against union representation.
Seventy-four percent of the workers eligible to cast ballots — or, approximately 2,097 of 2,828 workers — voted against unionization. The plant, located in North Charleston, South Carolina, builds the company’s 787 Dreamliners, which is only recently turning profitable for the company.
The overwhelming rejection of unionization is another blow to pro-union groups as they attempt to push back against right-to-work legislation nationwide.
“We’re disappointed the workers at Boeing South Carolina will not yet have the opportunity to see all the benefits that come with union representation” Mike Evans, IAM lead organizer said.
“But more than anything, we are disheartened they will have to continue to work under a system that suppresses wages, fosters inconsistency and awards only a chosen few,” he continued.
Wednesday’s vote came just two years after a planned unionization vote was called off due to political interference and what the company described as a “misinformation campaign.”
South Carolina has the lowest rate of unionization, with 1.6 percent of workers belonging to a union. North Carolina is the second lowest state, with a rate of 3.0 percent. (RELATED: Union Membership Continues To Decline)
Trump is expected to visit the state Friday in order to congratulate South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, his pick to serve as United Nations ambassador, and to visit the Boeing plant in North Charleston. Boeing’s unionization vote is viewed by many as the largest test for organized labor in South Carolina for decades.
Air carriers around the world are placing orders with Boeing for the wide-bodied 787 Dreamliner. Singapore Air Lines recently purchased 39 additional planes, a contract worth $13.8 billion.
During the campaign, Trump blasted Boeing for plans to build a factory in China. While the plant was intended to paint planes that were bound for Southeast Asia, Trump mentioned the company numerous times, asserting the plant would cost American jobs.
The world’s largest airplane manufacturer is careful to keep a healthy relationship with Southeast Asia because of the region’s expanding markets and increasing demands for the wide-bodied long haul planes.
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