A seven-week strike by Boeing workers has ended after 58% of union members voted to approve a new pay deal that will see incomes rise by 38%.
After votes were held on November 4, 2024, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Districts 751 and W24 announced that a new ratified contract would see Boeing workers receive a 43.65% compounded wage increase.
IAM praised the deal for setting a “new standard for compensation and wages for aerospace industry workers”.
The agreed proposal includes a 38% pay rise over four years, a ratification bonus worth $12,000 and an additional $5,000 payment that can be paid to workers as part of their paycheck or towards individuals’ 401K retirement fund.
“Through this victory and the strike that made it possible, IAM members have taken a stand for respect and fair wages in the workplace. Our members perform high quality and flight critical work for the airplanes we build and deserve a return on their labor investment that provides for the quality-of-life worthy of that labor,” Jon Holden, President of IAM District 751 and Brandon Bryant, President of IAM District W24, said in a joint statement.
They added: “We are ready to help Boeing change direction and return to building the highest quality and safest airplanes in the world. There is no Boeing without the IAM’ has been our battle cry, and we are ready, again, to do our part to bring this company back to the standard that it never should have strayed from.”
Some 33,000 frontline workers at Boeing from across Washington state, Oregon and California were eligible to vote on a strike that was said to be costing the planemaker $100 million a day.
“While the past few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team. We will only move forward by listening and working together. There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company,” Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg told employees.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg shared a statement on the approval of a 4-year contract by our production and maintenance teammates here in the Pacific Northwest. pic.twitter.com/2vDDWW1OV8
— Boeing in Washington (@BoeingWA) November 5, 2024
IAM praised Secretary of Labor Julie Su’s role in helping to find a resolution and told Boeing employees they can return to work between November 6 to 12, 2024.
Strikes initially began on September 13, 2024, and have resulted in further delivery delays of Boeing 737s, 787s and 777s.
Even before strikes began, Boeing was trying to recover from the fallout of an incident in January 2024, when a door plug separated from an Alaska Airlines 737-9 shortly after takeoff.
The incident led to huge questions over Boeing’s safety and quality procedures during the aircraft manufacturing process.
Several whistleblowers appeared in front of Senate Committees to reveal questionable practices at Boeing’s facilities and aircraft production slowed leaving airlines around the world frustrated by undelivered planes.
On October 11, 2024, Ortberg told employees that the delivery date for the first 777X aircraft has been pushed back to 2026 while production of MAX jets has also been severely hampered this year.