Boeing’s strike ends after machinists approve new labor contract with 38% wage increases
Boeing machinists approved a new labor deal Monday, ending a more than seven-week strike that halted most of the aircraft production at the company that was already struggling with mounting losses.
Boeing machinists approved a new labor deal Monday, ending a more than seven-week strike that halted most of the aircraft production at the company that was already struggling with mounting losses.
Machinists voted 59% in favor of the new contract, which includes 38% wage increases over four years and other improvements.
The approval is a relief for Boeing’s new CEO Kelly Ortberg, who took the top job in August to steer the company through its safety and manufacturing crises.
President Joe Biden congratulated the union and the company — one of the country’s top exporters — on reaching the deal. Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su had gotten involved with the negotiations, meeting with both sides.“This contract provides a 38% wage increase over four years, improves workers’ ability to retire with dignity, and supports fairness at the workplace,” Biden said in a statement. “This contract is also important for Boeing’s future as a critical part of America’s aerospace sector.”
It was the machinists’ third vote since September, when the 33,000 workers, mostly in the Seattle area, walked off the job after overwhelmingly rejecting a proposal promising a 25% raise, far short of the 40% the union sought. They rejected another sweetened proposal late last month.
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