MOSCOW: More than 30,000 Boeing employees were poised to strike on Friday after overwhelmingly voting against a new labour contract, reported Sputnik.
Workers in the Seattle area and Oregon rejected a tentative agreement proposed by Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, with 94.6 percent voting against it. They voted 96 per cent in favour of the strike – well above the two-thirds majority needed to halt work, CNBC reported.
While the proposal reportedly offered a 25 per cent increase in wages, improved healthcare and retirement benefits, the union had aimed for raises of approximately 40 per cent.
Boeing has lost around US$8 billion this year and has a mounting debt problem. Production is below expectations due to manufacturing issues and labour shortages. It attracted additional federal attention on its production lines after a tire blowout on a nearly new Boeing 737 Max 9 at the beginning of the year.
– Bernama, Sputnik
