Boeing - recognize the union at Hawker de Havilland

AWU members are being asked to send e-mail protest letters to the big Boeing aircraft firm who are denying union rights to Sydney professional workers who want a sister union, the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists & Managers, Australia (APESMA) to represent them.

Boeing is the world's largest manufacturer of commercial jets and military aircraft, with approximately 1300 employees at its Australian subsidiary Hawker de Havilland.

Despite providing collective bargaining agreements for around 80% of its Hawker de Havilland workforce, Boeing has decided that a small group of staff, APESMA members, including professional engineers and scientists, IT professionals and managers at a site in Sydney, cannot have the same employment conditions as their colleagues.

• Send an e-mail protest today. Call on Boeing to recognize the union at Hawker de Havilland

AWU members remember bitter Boeing dispute

" For 265 days, members of the AWU employed by Boeing at the Williamtown RAAF Base manned a picket line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week," Ben Swan remembered of a massive dispute in 2005-2006 involving our union.

" It was a David-and-Goliath battle.Twenty-seven aircraft maintenance engineers pitted against a company employing over 159,000 people throughout 67 countries - the world's biggest aircraft manufacturer."

" That's why we are supporting the workers who want Boeing to recognise APESMA as their voice in the workplace," the AWU Assistant National Secretary said.

Boeing denying collective bargaining voice

Why? Because Boeing think they can get away with it - how much noise can 25 workers make?

When the workers tried to start collective bargaining, Boeing responded with a lockout of a small group of professional engineers.

They flew in strike-breakers in from the United States.

Boeing are now attempting to harass and intimidate workers.

Employees have had enough and seek your help to achieve a collective agreement.

Please add your voice to theirs and call on Boeing and Hawker de Havilland to comply with their stated Corporate Value of 'Integrity', through which they have committed to 'treat everyone fairly and with trust and respect'.