Boeing factory workers have voted against the company’s latest contract offer and will remain on the picket lines six weeks into a strike that has stopped production of the aerospace giant’s bestselling jetliners.
Local union leaders in Seattle say 64% of the members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted against the proposal Wednesday. The offer included pay raises of 35% over four years.
Boeing workers told Associated Press reporters the company’s refusal to restore a traditional pension plan that was frozen a decade ago is a sticking point.
Reacting to the ongoing strike at Boeing, on October 18 Wichita's Spirit AeroSystems announced employee furloughs, a hiring freeze, travel and overtime restrictions, and other cost-saving measures. Effective October 28, Spirit will implement a 21-day furlough for approximately 700 employees working on the 767 and 777 programs due to the buildup of a significant inventory buffer on those programs.
In its 3rd Quarter Earnings Report, Spirit CEO Pat Shanahan said of Spirit's impending acquisition by Boeing, "We remain on track to close the acquisition by Boeing in mid-2025, while also continuing to focus on safety, compliance and quality."
In the report, Spirit says if the strike at Boeing continues beyond November, financial pressures may require the company to implement layoffs and additional furloughs.