Washington has a plethora of industry, but there are two names that pretty much come to people’s minds when they think of the state:  Boeing and Microsoft.  I have worked for both, and while I have mentioned my high tech industry experiences, I don’t talk about Boeing much.

I hired on to the 777 plant in Everett in 1996, about a year and a half after I left the Air Force.

Prior to my hiring on, in 1995, I began to pay attention to Boeing.  It was just prior to Christmas in 1995.  I heard the stories and saw the TV reports.  Christmas shopping at the Auburn Super Mall we drove past the picket lines.

I noticed something.  Boeing had offered them a new contract at around 45 days and they were voting on it.  A person labeled as a Union Officer came on TV expressing his optimism.  The membership flatly rejected it.  Shortly afterward, the same guy spoke on TV about how he had been pretty sure the Members would reject it.

I admit, I laughed.  I figured if that was the kind of dufas they elected, oh well.

The strike went another 3 weeks or so finally ending at 69 days.

When I hired on in 1996, the veterans and old timers were still crowing about that strike.

I mentioned to one what I had noticed, and he nodded sagely, and told me a startling accusation:  the union was in cahoots with Boeing management and the strike had been engineered deliberately. 

NOTE: Obviously I need to add the disclaimer, this is not my theory, but that of a veteran employee.

So intrigued (hey it beat working) I asked him to explain.  He claimed that Boeing as behind in planning and production on the 777, and rather then pay penalties for delays, they could take advantage of a 45 day extension on contracts that was allowed during - you guessed it -  contract disputes.

So, he claimed that Boeing deliberately offered a crappy contract on day one, and forced the strike.  Then, around day 45, when they lost the extension, they offered the real contract.