>And I am not sure what you mean the "AFL CIO did not call this strike."
>Technically, the AFL-CIO never calls a strike; it's always the workers of
>their affiliated unions that call the strike. But significantly, the Boeing
>engineers, who had an independent union for almost fifty years, voted to
>affiliate with the major AFL-CIO engineering and technical workers union
>last fall.
And the AFL-CIO offered public support for the strike, and sent the as-yet-unindicted Richard Trumka out to show support. From the union's website <http://www.speea.org/Negotiations/press_releases.html#3-8>:
>Trumka brings gifts to bolster SPEEA strike
>
>SEATTLE - Richard Trumka last night (Tuesday, March 7) told 3,500
>striking engineers and technical workers at Mercer Arena that they
>had the full support of 40 million union households in the United
>States. Then he showed them the money, a check for $50,000 and a
>promise of more to come.
>
>"Today, tomorrow, and for as long as it takes we will stand with
>you," Trumka, secretary-treasurer of the AFL-CIO said. "We'll fight
>with you until we win with you!"
>
>The AFL-CIO's number two official said the check to the Society of
>Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA, IFPTE Local
>2001, AFL-CIO) came with a promise of $25,000 more each week for the
>duration of the strike. The money comes on the heals of a $25,000 a
>week donation by the Communication Workers of America and $25,000
>checks each from the American Federation of State, County and
>Municipal Employees and the International Union of Electrical
>Workers. All total, the SPEEA strike effort took in $146,000
>yesterday, the 28th day of the strike by 19,000 Boeing workers.
>
>The union leader also said that a letter had been sent to all 70
>AFL-CIO affiliate unions requesting donations to assist SPEEA.
>
>"A month ago there weren't too many people who knew about SPEEA,"
>Trumka said. "But, I can tell you, that right now there are not too
>many people - unless they live under a rock - who haven't heard
>about SPEEA."
>
>Trumka called Boeing's leadership "out of touch." He also said the
>once aerospace leader would become an empty shell without the
>engineers and technical workers.
>
>"You are the future of the labor movement," Trumka told the cheering
>crowd. "This is a strike about whether employees will be treated
>like property or like partners."