en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/162613 Comments by Rex http://www.katu.com/news/27960179.html#IDComment6016993 I believe that $27 per hour is the average for Seattle machinists. The machinists in Portland average over $30. Plus, they all get VERY generous benefits. It is hard to justify a strike when you are making that much money in a place that has the nickname "Lazy B". I can almost feel pity for my union friends who have been duped by the IAM but pity does not come easily for someone making over 30 bucks an hour plus perks. Maybe it will be easier after they have lost their competitive edge against the likes of Airbus and most of the contracts are gone. But I doubt it. Job security comes from competence, work ethic and competitive wages. I would say the union is living a fairy tale but fairy tales usually have a happy ending. Just wait for the next union contract. The rest of the economy is down right now and it probably won't be better any time soon. The next time, Boeing will not likely forget this frivolous strike. Mon, 8 Sep 2008 16:41:59 +0000 http://www.katu.com/news/27960179.html#IDComment6016993