Boeing Employees Complain To Nlrb

Three members of the Machinists union at The Boeing Co. have filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, protesting their suspensions for wearing commemorative strike pins.

The employees at Boeing’s Everett plant were suspended for wearing buttons that said, “I held the line for 69 - Strike ‘95 - IAM,” a reference to the successful 69-day strike by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers last year.

One of the workers, Don Grinde, also wore a second pin that said, “I would never scab,” the same pin that resulted in the suspensions last week of six workers at Boeing’s plant in a Portland suburb.

Grinde said a supervisor ordered him to remove both buttons on Monday. When he refused, the supervisor took his employee badge and suspended him indefinitely.

Employee Carol Sewell was sent home for the day on Thursday for wearing the strike pin while employees Dave Mascarenas and Chuck Prather were sent home on Monday.

“This is not considered a formal suspension,” Boeing spokesman Peter Conte said. “This is considered leave without pay. And, at least on the first infraction, nothing goes into their personnel folder.”

Grinde, Sewell and Mascarenas complained to the NLRB.