Boeing has locked out its private force of firefighters who protect its aircraft-manufacturing plants in the Seattle area and brought in replacements after the latest round of negotiations with the firefighters' union failed to deliver an agreement on wages.
The company said Saturday that it locked out about 125 firefighters and a facility about 170 miles (275 kilometers) away in central Washington. The firefighters serve as first responders to fires and medical emergencies and can call in help from local fire departments.
“Despite extensive discussions through an impartial federal mediator, we did not reach an agreement with the union,” Boeing said in a statement. “We have now locked out members of the bargaining unit and fully implemented our contingency plan with highly qualified firefighters performing the work of (union) members.”
In a statement Saturday, the International Association of Firefighters union said Boeing’s lockout is intended to “punish, intimidate and coerce its firefighters into accepting a contract that undervalues their work.”
“Putting corporate greed over safety, Boeing has decided to lockout our members and the safety of the Washington facilities has been needlessly put at risk,” said Edward Kelly, the IAFF’s general president.
Boeing stressed that the lockout will have “no impact” on its operations.
The labor dispute comes as Boeing navigates mounting losses — more than $24 billion since the start of 2019 — and renewed scrutiny over quality and safety in its manufacturing since a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 Max flying over Oregon in January.
Boeing and the union remain far apart in their negotiations, which have been going on for 2 1/2 months. Each side accuses the other of bad-faith negotiating.
The company, which is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, said Saturday that its latest offer includes general annual wage increases and a new compensation structure for firefighters on a 24-hour shift schedule that would result in an average wage increase of about $21,000 a year. Boeing says firefighters were paid $91,000 on average last year.
The union, which argues Boeing has saved billions in insurance costs by employing its own on-site firefighters, has said it's seeking raises of 40% to 50%. Boeing's proposed pay increase would still leave crews earning 20% to 30% less than firefighters in the cities where Boeing plants are located, the union said.
A major sticking point is Boeing’s demand to make firefighters wait 19 years to hit top pay scale, up from 14 years. The union is proposing five years.
FILE - The logo for Boeing appears on a screen above a trading post on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Tuesday, July 13, 2021. Boeing has locked out its private force of firefighters who protect its aircraft-manufacturing plants in the Seattle area, Saturday, May 4, 2024, and brought in replacements after the latest round of negotiations with the firefighters' union failed to deliver an agreement on wages. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, file)
PEZINOK, Slovakia (AP) — Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico ’s condition was stable but serious Saturday as the man accused of trying to assassinate him faced his first court appearance.
Health Minister Zuzana Dolinkova said two-hour surgery Friday to remove dead tissue from multiple gunshot wounds “contributed to a positive prognosis” for Fico.
Defense Minister Robert Kalinak said his condition still makes it impossible to transport him to the capital, Bratislava.
The update on Fico’s condition came as the man accused of attempting to assassinate him made his first court appearance Saturday, Slovak state media said.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
PEZINOK, Slovakia (AP) — The man accused of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made his first court appearance Saturday as the nation’s leader remained in serious condition recovering from surgery after surviving multiple gunshots, Slovak state media said.
Fico, 59, was attacked as he greeted supporters following a government meeting Wednesday in the former coal mining town of Handlova. The suspect was tackled to the ground and arrested.
Prosecutors are seeking an order from Slovakia’s Specialized Criminal Court to detain the suspect.
Prosecutors told police not to publicly identify the suspect or release other details about the case, but unconfirmed media reports said he was a 71-year-old retiree known as an amateur poet who may have once worked as a mall security guard in the country’s southwest.
Government authorities gave details that matched that description. They said the suspect didn’t belong to any political groups, though the attack itself was politically motivated.
The courthouse in Pezinok, a small town outside the capital, Bratislava, was guarded by officers wearing balaclavas and carrying rifles. News media were not allowed in the courthouse and reporters were kept behind a gate outside.
Police on Friday had taken the suspect to his home in the town of Levice and seized a computer and some documents, Markiza, a Slovak television station reported. Police didn’t comment.
Fico underwent another round of surgery Friday to remove dead tissue from his body, said Miriam Lapuníková, director of the University F. D. Roosevelt hospital in Banska Bystrica, where Fico was taken by helicopter after he was shot.
He also underwent a CT scan and was awake and stable in an intensive care unit. She described his condition as “very serious.”
World leaders have condemned the attack and offered support for Fico and Slovakia.
Fico has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond. His return to power last year on a pro-Russia, anti-American platform led to worries among fellow European Union and NATO members that he would abandon his country’s pro-Western course, particularly on Ukraine.
At the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters, but Fico halted arms deliveries to Ukraine when he returned to power, his fourth time serving as prime minister.
Fico’s government has also made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting — a move critics said would give the government full control of public television and radio. That, coupled with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special anti-graft prosecutor, have led opponents to worry that Fico will lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.
Thousands of demonstrators have repeatedly rallied in the capital and around the country of 5.4 million to protest his policies.
Fico said last month on Facebook that he believed rising tensions in the country could lead to the killing of politicians, and he blamed the media for fueling tensions.
Before Fico returned to power last year, many of his political and business associates were the focus of police investigations, and dozens have been charged.
His plan to overhaul the penal system would eliminate the office of the special prosecutor that deals with organized crime, corruption and extremism.
Journalists gather as they wait for the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to be brought to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
Policemen guard the area as they wait for the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to be brought to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
Policemen guard the area as convoy brings the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
FILE - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks during a press conference with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. A man charged with attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was escorted by police to his home on the morning of Friday, May 17, 2024, with media saying that it was part of a search for evidence. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File)
Policemen guard the area as convoy brings the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
