Boeing local also makes donation to Approve R-74 campaign

by Mike Andrew - SGN Staff Writer

The Boeing machinists' union - District 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM 751) - has endorsed the Approve R-74 campaign. The union also put its money where its mouth is, donating $2,500 to Washington United for Marriage.

IAM 751 represents some 45,000 active and retired Boeing workers, plus workers in a number of other occupations including transit workers, delivery workers, regional disposal workers, workers at Grand Coulee Dam, auto mechanics, heavy-duty mechanics, machinists, welder/fabricators, refrigerator repairers, building maintenance workers, and irrigation workers.

Although the union includes same-sex domestic partner benefits in its labor agreement with Boeing, it has not previously been involved in the campaign for relationship recognition.

It was not a part of the R-71 campaign to approve the state's 'everything but marriage' domestic partnership laws in 2009, for example, and did not lobby for the Marriage Equality Act when it was before the state legislature.

According to IAM 751 legislative and political director Larry Brown, the union has evolved on the issue and felt it was time to take a stand.

'I think like all humans and human institutions, we grow and we change, and we transform,' Brown told the Seattle-based news blog Publicola. 'This is not a monolithic organization - our union stands for social justice, and this seems like the right time to come out for the right position on this initiative.

'Our legislature passed it, the people approved, we have domestic same-gender partnership benefits at Boeing now, and have had for a while. It just seemed like the right time.'

Brown told SGN that the endorsement of the Approve R-74 campaign was not a big change for IAM 751.

'We've provided domestic partner benefits for our Gay and Lesbian members for a long time,' Brown said. 'We want them to know that they matter and they're represented.'

Asked if there had been any pushback from more conservative union members about the endorsement, Brown said 'No, not all. There was some trepidation, but no. I'm very pleased.'

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