The International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) filed a petition Monday morning with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold an election at Boeing Co.’s (NYSE: BA) North Charleston, South Carolina, 787 plant. The union said that Boeing workers have contacted IAM organizers “regarding numerous workplace concerns that remain unaddressed, including subjective raises, inconsistent scheduling policies and a lack of respect on the shop floor.”

The IAM postponed a worker vote on union representation scheduled for April 2015, claiming “unprecedented political interference on the part of South Carolina lawmakers and the rampant spread of misinformation among Boeing workers.”

The union already represents more than 35,000 Boeing employees at 24 U.S. locations. The company employs about 2,850 production employees at the North Charleston plant.

For its part, Boeing repeated its belief that union representation is not in the best interests of South Carolina “teammates and their families, their communities, and the state of South Carolina.” Boeing vice-president and general manager of the North Charleston plant, Joan Robinson-Berry, said:

Our team has achieved an impressive list of amazing and historic accomplishments here in South Carolina in a remarkably short period of time, without the IAM. We’ve done it thanks to a belief – shared by our teammates – that we could build something special here through a commitment to working together for mutual success.

We have not forgotten the IAM’s history in South Carolina, including their repeated insults regarding our teammates’ abilities, their contract with Vought that took away many of the benefits those teammates already had, their attempt to keep Boeing from building 787s in South Carolina through their claim with the NLRB, and their abandoned petition in April 2015. There’s simply no reason to believe that anything has changed between then and now.

Referring to 2015’s postponed vote, IAM’s lead organizer for the South Carolina plant, Mike Evans, said:

I can unequivocally say there will be a vote this time around. We’ve met with numerous workers at Boeing in recent months and are confident they will see through any attempts by the company to divert attention away from the numerous workplace issues that need fixed.

Evans added, “Boeing workers just want to be treated with the respect they deserve. Why should they be subject to a different set of standards and rules than folks building the exact same plane in Seattle?”

The NLRB is likely to announce election dates and locations in the coming weeks, according to the IAM press announcement.

Boeing’s shares traded down about 0.4% in the noon hour Friday, at $158.34 in a 52-week range of $102.10 to $160.30. The high was posted earlier in the day. The stock’s 12-month consensus price target is $161.70.

Get Our Free Investment Newsletter

I have read, and agree to the Terms of Use

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.