Boeing strike potentially days away after union rejects company’s latest offer

All 33,000 members of Boeing’s Machinists Union are expected to reject the company’s latest contract offer and could go on strike late this week. One union member, who spoke with KIRO Newsradio anonymously, said workers are angry at Boeing and union leaders who are recommending members accept the contract offer.

Union leaders are asking for a 40% raise in pay, but union president Jon Holden told The Seattle Times the latest offer calls for a 25% increase instead, which Holden said is still the largest general pay wage increase they’ve ever seen.

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Holden also told The Seattle Times the new contract offers new Boeing contributions to employee 401(K) retirement plans, but would eliminate the machinists’ annual bonuses.

The worker who spoke with KIRO Newsradio said he’s been a Boeing machinist for 10 years, and his fellow workers are angry over Boeing’s proposed contract and angry at union leadership for recommending members vote to accept Boeing’s terms.

“The union is saying we should take it, but we’re not going to take it,” the anonymous worker said. “It’s awful. People are mad. We’re going to go on strike.”

A strike would result in Boeing’s jet plants in the Puget Sound region shutting down, along with other parts plants around the Pacific Northwest. It would also create potentially harmful financial impacts — including credit ratings — adding to the growing list of recent issues facing the giant airplane manufacturer.

So far this year, Boeing reported more than $1.4 billion in losses in its second quarter, they faced a public National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the 737 MAX that suffered a panel blowout midflight and two astronauts remain stuck at the International Space Station until February because of problems with the Starliner spacecraft Boeing built for NASA. Starliner returned to earth last week safely, however NASA would not allow their astronauts onboard amid safety concerns with the craft’s propulsion system.

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On Monday, according to The Seattle Times, hundreds of machinists marched in protest inside the Everett plant, then walked outside and chanted, “Strike! Strike! Strike!” The anonymous Boeing employee said workers in every plant are more than ready to hit the picket lines.

“I’m ready to go on strike for two, two and a half months,” he said. “Most people have squirreled away, we’ve been expecting this.”

Union members will vote on the latest contract offer this Thursday. Holden told The Seattle Times he expects they will reject the contract and go on strike from Boeing at 12 a.m. Friday.

Luke Duecy is a reporter for KIRO Newsradio.