Boeing Factory Workers Go On Strike

Thousands of Boeing workers went on strike on the West Coast Friday morning after rejecting a tentative contract their union negotiated with the aerospace manufacturer.

The massive work stoppage, involving an estimated 33,000 employees, is expected to halt production at the company’s jet plants in the Puget Sound region of Washington and its parts plant in Portland, Oregon.

The strike comes after rank-and-file union members voted overwhelmingly Thursday to turn down the deal and walk out. Both union leadership and Boeing brass had urged workers to accept what was on the table.

Boeing said in a statement that it was prepared to start bargaining again.

“The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with [union] leadership was not acceptable to the members,” the company said. “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.”

Boeing had offered a 25% pay raise over four years, but the union had proposed 40% to make up for lost increases and elevated inflation in recent years. The deal would also have eliminated an annual bonus.

And while the union had called for restoration of the defined-benefit pension plan, the deal instead offered higher contributions to 401(k) plans.

Many workers had lambasted the tentative agreement on social media and protested outside plants this week, calling for co-workers to support a strike. When a vote was held Thursday, more than 94% of workers were against the deal, and 96% were in favor of striking, according to Jon Holden, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751.

A prolonged work stoppage could be financially damaging