Thousands of Boeing workers on strike after rejecting contract
Boeing employees — 33,000 of them mostly across Washington State — are on strike for the first time since 2008.
Of the voting members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Union, 94.6% rejected Boeing’s proposed contract, with 96% voting to strike Thursday.
The deal proposed by Boeing includes 25% raises over four years and a promise that the company’s next new airplane will be built by union members in Washington state.
Work stopped at 12:01 a.m. Friday.
KIRO 7 was in the room when union leaders announced the strike.
IAM District 751 President Jon Holden said its leadership tried hard to find a compromise during negotiations, but now supports the strike because it’s what the members want.
“I know that we’re acting in their best interests, so you know…we had an agreement that we negotiated, and we recommended that because there was many important things in it, but within our system, our members have the final say. This is exactly how it should be, we achieved everything we could in bargaining, short of a strike, and now it’s in their hands,” said Holden.
Some of workers’ concerns include pay, job security, healthcare costs, 401K, and work-life balance.
In Everett Friday morning, workers walked the picket line, blasting music from speakers and using burn barrels to keep warm amid honks from passing cars.
At one time, Twisted Sister’s rock anthem, “We’re Not Gonna Take it” was heard blaring.
Over the last several years, Boeing has been plagued with issues, from the door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight in January to problems with its Starliner capsule – which left its two test pilots at the International Space Station due to thruster trouble and helium leaks.
Boeing has seen its reputation battered since two 737 Max airliners crashed in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The safety of its products came under renewed scrutiny after a panel blew out of a Max during a flight in January.
The company has lost more than $25 billion over about the last six years.
Workers have gone on strike seven other times, with the last machinists’ strike in 2008, which lasted just 57 days and cost Boeing at least $2 billion, according to Wall Street analysts.
Boeing reopened negotiations on that contract in 2011 and 2013, with the union agreeing to major concessions, including raising employees’ cost of health care and ending the traditional pension program in exchange for agreeing to keep airplane production in Washington state.
Now, workers are warning of the ripple effect the strike could have, saying that for every person who goes on strike, four others with be affected around the community. Examples are striking workers saving money instead of eating at restaurants and spending money at local businesses.
In terms of the timetable, and the two sides coming to an agreement, workers say they are prepared to holdout until they get what they feel they deserve.
Holden said that they will take it one day at a time, prioritizing talking with members about their specific needs.
Meanwhile, Boeing issued a statement to KIRO 7 Thursday night:
The Associated Press contributed to this story.