AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka made the following statement on the union vote by Boeing workers in North Charleston, SC:
Let’s be clear, what occurred at Boeing South Carolina was not a lost election, it was a process rigged against the people who do the work. There are no winners when working people are being denied their rights. Boeing opened this plant in South Carolina to try and take advantage of workers without a union, to drive down wages and treat thousands of its employees like second-class workers. That’s bad for Boeing, for South Carolina and for America’s economy.
The fact is, brave workers at Boeing were seeking a better life but they faced insurmountable odds and were met with a corporate bankrolled campaign to silence them. Their efforts are part of an undeniable wave of workers in the South standing together and speaking out for a fair share of the wealth we help create. Today’s vote is not the end. It is part of the resurgence of working families changing the rules of our economy and through unions, creating an America where wages and benefits are strong.
Contact: Carolyn Bobb (202) 637-5018