Workers at Boeing, the US aircraft manufacturer, have initiated a strike following the rejection of a proposed pay increase agreement between the company and union representatives.
Approximately 33,000 machinists stopped work at two facilities in Washington state—Renton and Everett—as the local chapter of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers declared a near-unanimous decision to strike.
The contract that was previously in place, which was established in 2008 and renewed in 2014, expired on September 12.
Nearly 95% of workers who voted turned down the proposed contract, while 96% voted in favor of the strike, surpassing the necessary two-thirds majority.
The striking workers are responsible for assembling the 737 Max, Boeing’s top-selling airliner, as well as the 777 and 767 cargo planes. However, the strike is unlikely to disrupt the production of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which is manufactured by non-union employees in South Carolina.
The employees turned down a contract that Boeing described as a victory for workers, especially given the company’s difficult financial circumstances largely related to safety issues with the 737 Max, which has been linked to two deadly crashes and other serious incidents.
By participating in the strike, the workers rejected a proposal that would have implemented a 25% wage increase over four years.
Jon Holden, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751, commented, “Our members spoke loud and clear tonight.”
In response, Boeing stated: “The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members. We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union, and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.”
Earlier this week, union leaders had encouraged members to back the proposed deal, which included a 25% wage increase as well as a pledge from Boeing to produce its next commercial airplane in the Seattle area if the project commenced during the contract period.
Initially, the union sought a larger wage increase of 40%.
Before the strike commenced, Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, warned workers that any form of industrial action could jeopardize the company’s recovery efforts.