Boeing workers vote to go on strike in Seattle

Boeing workers in the Seattle region voted overwhelmingly to go on strike Friday, rejecting an agreement that the aviation giant presented as a big win for the workforce, especially given the company's difficult financial situation.

However, the workers stood firm, rejecting the agreement with 94.6% of the vote. An even higher percentage voted in favor of going on strike.

According to International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751 union president Jon Holden, 96% of regional employees supported stopping work until the company offers them a better deal.

"Our members have spoken clearly tonight. We will strike at midnight," assured by means of a press release the leader of this union that represents more than 30,000 workers of the aeronautical manufacturer in this region.

According to the executive, the protest will affect two large assembly plants in the Puget Sound region.

The workforce opposed the preliminary agreement reached between Boeing management and the company's union leaders that provided for a 25% wage increase over four years and a commitment to invest in this region.

However, workers felt that the agreement was not as generous as intended and pointed out, for example, that the 25% increase was misleading because at the same time an annual bonus given by the company was eliminated.

The strike comes against a backdrop of growing labor unrest in the country, with strikes in the automotive, entertainment and other industries that largely marked the socio-political and economic situation in 2023.

It also occurs in a sensitive context for Boeing, whose reputation has recently been tarnished by various air safety incidents.