Legal Question in Employment Law in Washington

Re: Pay for equal work

If you are a member of a union at Boeing, you should talk to your union rep and see if this is contrary to the collective bargaining agreement. If so, perhaps your union can help you.

If this is not contrary to the collective bargaining agreement, or if you are not covered by an agreement, then what they are doing is legal unless you can show that you are not being advanced for an illegal reason. An illegal reason would include discrimination because you are in a protected class (race, gender, religion, national origin, age, marital status or sexual identity or orientation.) Other illegal reasons would include discrimination because you exercised your statutory rights (such as filing a workman's comp claim if injured at work) or because you were a whistleblower. If none of these are their motivation for holding you back, then it may be unfair and unjust, but it is not illegal.

Hope that helps.

Re: Pay for equal work

First of all, Boeing is known for their "pre-selection" or "arbitrary sucessionary" hiring practices. We had recieved many complaints about this "good old boy" network.

However, each circumstance is different. It appear that the other employees were given an "advantage" or "the good duties" to create the circumstances leading to their promotion. This is not a legal of fair hiring practice, particularly, if all of the applicants for the position did not receive an interview or consideration for the position or the merits and their actual performance. Without more information, it would be difficult to address this issue further but I agree that it is something you should pursue through the appropriate channels and other agencies that can provide you with appropriate protection under the laws.