Applications Swamp Machinists Union

The Boeing Co. hiring boom has swamped the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers with applications for union membership.

“I’ve seen applications go from 300 a month at the beginning of the year to 1,300 a month,” said Judy Morrison, a Machinists union administrator. “I think there will be more this month.”

The union represents most of Boeing’s hourly employees, who make parts and assemble airplanes. The organization is recovering from a slump that saw membership drop by 42 percent from 1989’s 40,000.