A 777 is joined together at Boeing’s assembly plant in Everett, Washington. [Credit: Boeing]
Key Takeaways:
Over 30,000 Boeing aerospace workers are striking after overwhelmingly rejecting a tentative contract, despite union leadership calling it the best ever negotiated.
Workers' main grievances include an insufficient 25% wage increase over four years (which excludes their current bonus), the failure to restore their pension plan, and concerns about job security commitments.
The strike will halt aircraft and component deliveries, exacerbating existing backlogs for airlines, and comes at a difficult time for Boeing, which has faced years of losses and production challenges.
More than 30,000 aerospace workers at Boeing will walk off the job Friday after a large majority of them rejected a tentative contract.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) announced the result on its website late Thursday night after vote tabulation was completed.
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Eric is the Air Cargo Market Editor at FreightWaves. An award-winning business journalist with extensive experience covering the logistics sector, Eric spent nearly two years as the Washington, D.C., correspondent for Automotive News, where he focused on regulatory and policy issues surrounding autonomous vehicles, mobility, fuel economy and safety. He has won two regional Gold Medals from the American Society of Business Publication Editors for government coverage and news analysis, and was voted best for feature writing and commentary in the Trade/Newsletter category by the D.C. Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. As associate editor at American Shipper Magazine for more than a decade, he wrote about trade, freight transportation and supply chains. Eric is based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached for comments and tips at ekulisch@freightwaves.com
