The 32,000 IAM 751 union members voted overwhelmingly to reject a new Boeing contract and to go on strike, from Friday the 13th of September.
This is a landmark development, as it is the first strike to impact Boeing in 16 years. The previous such strike, in 2008, also involved IAM District 751, and lasted for 52 days. To many in the industry, that strike gave rise to the current hostile relationship between Boeing’s leadership and its workers.
But the new Boeing strike didn’t come as a surprise. After the IAM 751 union leadership recommended that its members accept the contract earlier this week, reactions towards the deal were mostly negative.
However, it is hard to judge consensus from social media posts. A contract rejection required 50% plus one vote. A strike required 75% of the votes. And in the end, it wasn’t a close call on both counts.
Boeing Machinists Vote to Strike
IAM 751 members voted to reject the Boeing contract by 94.6% and to go on strike by 96%. There’s no question that this is a strong message to the manufacturer. Boeing reportedly responded saying:
“We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union, and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement”.
As we saw previously, Boeing’s proposal was for a 25% average wage increase, along with healthcare and pension improvements that stopped short what its employees enjoyed until a decade ago. Union members also wanted a seat on the Boeing board, which the offer didn’t include.
Hoping to avert the strike, Boeing committed to building its next all-new aircraft in the Puget Sound, i.e. either in Renton or Everett. But a caveat was that the plane’s launch would have to happen during the duration of the contract, i.e. in the next four years. IAM 751’s leadership recommended to approve that deal. But before the vote, union leadership reportedly expected its members to vote it down.
Both Boeing and the union’s leadership committed to return to the negotiating table as soon as the decision for a strike came through. At the moment, the likely duration of the strike is unclear.
This strike affects the production of the 737 MAX and P-8 Poseidon in Renton and the 767 freighter, the KC-46 tanker, as well as the Boeing 777 freighter in Everett. It may also affect rework on any remaining 787s in the Everett factory.
