Boeing workers vote to go on strike in Seattle

Union leaders refused to accept the 25% wage increase offered by the company over the next four years, saying it was "misleading" because the increase also eliminated the company's annual bonus.

Union members react as Aerospace Machinists District 751 President Jon Holden (out of frame) announces that union members rejected a proposed Boeing contract and will go on strike, following voting results at their union hall in Seattle, Washington, on September 12, 2024. - Boeing workers in the Seattle region overwhelmingly voted to strike on September 12, rejecting a contract the embattled aviation giant characterized as a boon for staff given the company's stressed financial condition. (Photo by Jason Redmond / AFP) — Seattle-area workers begin strike against Boeing until it approves new dealAFP.

Published by

Rosana Rábago Sainz AFP

13 de septiembre, 2024

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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.