I’m not going to try to tell you whether Boeing or the Machinists union is right in this strike that has now lasted more than five weeks.
The company is fighting for what it believes in, and so are the employees. Both sides are paying the price for their principles, with lost profits and wages.
To me, the shame of it all is the hardship the strike is causing on all of those people who don’t have anything to gain and so much to lose. I’m talking about all those people at Spirit AeroSystems who are working three-day weeks, the people getting laid off at smaller shops, the suppliers who are having to scale back because Boeing doesn’t need what they make right now.
There are only about 750 Boeing employees on strike in Wichita. But the impact reaches so many more people here, directly and indirectly. And when Boeing and the Machinists come to an agreement, the collateral damage will extend to the suppliers long after the strike is over.