Striking Boeing factory workers say they are ready to hold out for a better contract
By DAVID KOENIG, MANUEL VALDES and LINDSEY WASSON
SEATTLE (AP) — Blue-collar workers from Boeing walked picket lines in the Pacific Northwest instead of building airplanes on Friday after they overwhelmingly rejected a proposed contract that would have raised their wages by 25% over four years.
The strike by 33,000 machinists will not disrupt airline flights anytime soon, but it is expected to shut down production of Boeing’s best-selling jetliners, marking yet another setback for a company already dealing with billions of dollars in financial losses and a damaged reputation.
The company said it was taking steps to conserve cash while its CEO looks for ways to come up with a contract that the unionized factory workers will accept.
Boeing stock fell 3.7% Friday, bringing its decline for the year to nearly 40%.
The strike started soon after a regional branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers reported that in a Thursday vote, 94.6% of participating members rejected a contract offer that the union’s own bargaining committee had endorsed, and 96% voted to strike.