Boeing workers to strike after rejecting the agreement between the unions and the company. It would be the company’s first strike in 16 years, according to the Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union.
Specifically, 95% of union members voted against an agreement providing for a general wage increase of 25% in the period covered by the agreement – until 2027.
The company had also offered increased job security for union members because Boeing had promised to build its next commercial jetliner, which has not yet been announced, in a unionized factory.
“Our members have spoken loud and clear” said Jon Holden, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, District 751.
The union had initially offered the company a series of improvements to workers’ wages, including a 40 percent pay increase.
The strike, if it occurs, would be the latest setback for Boeing. The company has had a string of problems over the past five years, including two fatal crashes of its 737 Max, one in October 2018 and another in March 2019, that killed 346 people and led to a 20-month grounding of Boeing’s best-selling plane and a suspension of deliveries to fix a design flaw linked to the crashes.
A strike would not affect consumer travel. Boeing planes already delivered to airlines and those currently in use around the world will continue to fly. However, The strike would cause a delay in deliveries of planes promised to airlines, removing the company’s main source of revenue.
