How Boeing Robs Workers to Pay Execs Millions.
Corporate Greed Takes Flight: The Real Cost of Boeing’s Executive Paydays for Everyday Workers.
At midnight on September 12th, 2024, 33,000 Boeing workers in the Pacific Northwest took a stand, walking off the job to demand a contract that reflects their worth. After more than 15 years of playing by the rules of a system designed to bleed them dry, workers have had enough. They are rising against a rigged game—a capitalist system that sucks value from labor to feed the endless hunger for corporate profits. While the media focuses over Boeing’s $900 million losses since the strike started, the real story is of the machinists whose sweat and skill built this company, only to see their work line the pockets of executives with obscene bonuses and shareholder profits. Executives like Dave Calhoun, who "earned" in $22.5 million in 2022, comfortably watch from above as the real creators of Boeing’s wealth are forced to fight for basic survival: wages, pensions, and job security.
As one union leader declared, “We’re ready. Our members are ready.” This strike is bigger than Boeing—it’s a battle against a capitalist system that exists to wring every ounce of value from the worker, while the bosses at the top live in luxury.
Boeing’s initial offer was a slap in the face: a 25% wage increase, a $3,000 signing bonus, and a reinstated annual bonus. Disgusting for a company that made $7.7 billion in gross profit in 2023. This pitiful offer doesn’t begin to repair years of stagnant wages, unsafe working conditions, or the gutting of pensions since 2014. It’s no wonder 96% of union members voted to strike. By September 13th, 33,000 machinists were on the picket line, not just fighting for a pay bump—they are fighting for the future.
“I’ve been on strike for 12 days,” one Boeing machinist shared. “It’s stressful not knowing when we’ll get the offer we deserve, but standing with my fellow workers and feeling the support is empowering.” This isn’t just about wages; workers came to Boeing looking for financial independence, but instead, they’re now fighting for their dignity—for a wage that means something more than just scraping by. As that machinist put it, “A living wage includes actually living, not just paying my bills.”
What Are They Fighting For?
1. A 40% wage increase over the contract
2. Retroactive reinstatement of pensions
3. Job security, as Boeing continues offshoring jobs
4. Improved healthcare
5. Safer working conditions
On September 23rd, Boeing tried a classic capitalist tactic—divide and conquer. They bypassed the union and offered a so-called “best and final” deal: a 30% wage increase, a $6,000 signing bonus, and some minor tweaks to 401(k) matching. The catch? Workers had just five days to vote, an obvious attempt to rush them into accepting a bad deal.
But Boeing workers held the line. Refusing to let Boeing divide them, they didn’t even bother voting on the offer. They knew this fight wasn’t just about numbers on a paycheck—it’s about their dignity, their futures, and their power as a collective. One worker asked, “They’ve made billions off us for years, and they expect us to settle for this?” Another reminded everyone, “They’ve been squeezing suppliers and workers for years to keep their profits bloated.” This is capitalism: squeeze every last drop of value from the workers and supply chain, while the bosses reap the rewards.
The strike continues. But this isn’t just a fight for a better contract—it’s about fighting back against a system that has always put profit over people.
Workers vs. Greed
The demands of Boeing’s machinists go far beyond wages. This is a reckoning against decades of exploitation. Workers endure relentless schedules, with mandatory overtime stretching for weeks, leaving them physically drained and broken. The jobs they do take a toll on their bodies, leading to chronic injuries, while Boeing keeps pushing production for maximum profit. It’s clear—the company’s strategy is simple: squeeze workers dry.
Much like this old but very timely political cartoon...
While workers’ wages stagnate, the cost of living skyrockets. In the last decade, their wages crept up just 15%, while housing costs in greater Seattle area exploded by 128%. How are workers supposed to survive in a system where the rich get richer and the workers get scraps? Meanwhile, Boeing executives are rolling in millions, with CEOs like Dennis Muilenburg walking away with $23 million after overseeing the catastrophic 737 Max crisis. Dave Calhoun pocketed $22.5 million last year, as machinists struggle to pay for rent and medical bills. These numbers aren’t just obscene—they reveal the truth about capitalism: it’s a system built on robbing workers to keep the rich comfortable.
Even basic healthcare has become a burden. Boeing cuts benefits and shifts rising healthcare costs onto workers, while executives enjoy platinum healthcare plans. One machinist summed it up: “Boeing thinks we’re fools—they believe we’ll be scared into accepting their scraps.” The divide between corporate elites and the workers who create real value has never been starker.
The Role of the Democratic Party in Supporting Big Business
The Democratic Party likes to posture as pro-worker, but their real record shows where their loyalties lie—with the corporations. Boeing has long benefited from government handouts, courtesy of pro-business policies pushed by the Democrats. These policies have allowed Boeing to rake in billions through stock buybacks, executive bonuses, and tax breaks while leaving workers to fight for basic rights. Under the Democrats’ watch, workers’ rights have steadily eroded. Even their words of support for unions are drowned out by their actions—ensuring the profit machine keeps running for corporations like Boeing.
A clear example of this betrayal comes from Washington Governor Jay Inslee. In 2013, he signed an $8.7 billion tax break for Boeing, the largest ever handed out by a state, to supposedly keep jobs in Washington. But Boeing took the money and still shipped jobs overseas. The result? Shareholders get richer, and workers get shafted. Between 2013 and 2019, Boeing spent $43 billion on stock buybacks, while wages stagnated, and pensions were gutted. Stock buybacks are a capitalist tool to artificially inflate the value of a companies stock price by reducing the available supply, making the existing and remaining supply more valuable. Remember, $20 million of Dave Calhoun's salary was in stock options. The more valuable the stock, more money for executives. This isn’t just mismanagement—it’s a clear case of the capitalist system doing what it’s meant to: keep the rich comfortable while working people suffer.
The Rise of the Worldwide Labor Movement
Boeing’s strike is part of a broader, global uprising of workers who are waking up to the truth: capitalism is rigged against them. Whether it’s the Starbucks unionisation drive, the CFMEU fighting the federal governement in Australia, or the UAW standing up to auto companies, the same story is playing out around the world. Workers are tired of being used, exploited, and discarded.
Corporations—and the governments that support them—have ramped up their union-busting tactics. But workers are proving they are stronger together. The resilience of Starbucks baristas, Australian construction workers, and UAW members shows that collective action is the only way to force corporations to meet workers’ demands.
Why It Matters
What’s happening at Boeing is part of a global pattern: corporations are using every tool at their disposal to suppress worker power. From intimidation to union-busting and legal manoeuvres, the ruling class will do whatever it takes to keep profits flowing. But the answer is clear: workers’ collective power is the only way to fight back.
Whether it’s machinists at Boeing, baristas at Starbucks, or construction workers in Australia, the struggle is the same. The system is rigged against the working class. The answer? Organise, strike, and fight back. The only path to justice is through the power of the people.
The Fight Continues—for Boeing Workers and All Workers
The Boeing strike is about more than one contract—it’s about challenging an entire system built on exploitation. The time for small concessions is over. Workers across industries are rising, and their message is clear: we will no longer accept scraps while the bosses get richer. The fight doesn’t stop at Boeing—it’s a fight to dismantle the capitalist system that puts profits over people.
Kylee.