Aviation Boeing workforce rejects employer offer

In the wage dispute at Boeing, which has been going on for weeks, the workforce of the US aircraft manufacturer in the Seattle region has rejected the latest contract offer. The strike, which has lasted almost six weeks, has thus been extended.

Around 64 percent of the local members of the IAM union voted against accepting the offer, the union explained on Wednesday in the online service X. The offer provided for a 35 percent pay rise, but not the reintroduction of a pension plan that many employees wanted.

"After ten years of austerity, we have some catching up to do, and we hope to do that by quickly reopening negotiations," said IAM district president Jon Holden. "This is democracy at work - and also clear evidence that there are consequences when a company treats its employees badly year after year."

33,000 employees walked off the job

The strike at Boeing in the Pacific Northwest region around the US metropolis of Seattle began on September 13, with around 33,000 employees walking off the job. The strike brought the assembly of Boeing 737 Max and 777 aircraft to a virtual standstill.

On Saturday, IAM announced that it had reached an agreement in principle with the management, which would be put to the members for a vote on Wednesday. Boeing confirmed the agreement in principle and explained that the offer now on the table provides for a salary increase of 35 percent over a period of four years as well as a one-off bonus payment of 7,000 dollars. However, the IAM members have now rejected this offer.

Strike causes costs in the billions

Last week, the management consultancy Anderson Economic Group estimated the costs caused by the strike at 7.6 billion dollars, 4.35 billion dollars of which for Boeing alone. However, the company is not only suffering financially because of the strike. Even before the industrial action, the aircraft manufacturer had numerous problems relating to the safety of its aircraft, among other things.

In the past quarter, Boeing made a loss of billions of dollars. The loss from July to September amounted to 6.17 billion dollars, as the company announced on Wednesday. Sales fell by one percent to 17.84 billion dollars in the three-month period.

SDA