Boeing machinists strike for first time since 2008

EVERETT, Wash. — Boeing employees — 33,000 of them who are mostly in Washington State — are on strike for the first time since 2008.

Of the voting members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Union, 94.6% rejected Boeing’s proposed contract, with 96% voting to strike Thursday.

The deal proposed by Boeing included 25% raises over four years and a promise that the company’s next new airplane would be built in Washington.

The union’s first proposal included 40% raises over three years and the resurrection of a traditional pension, which was eliminated a decade ago.

Work stopped at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

KIRO 7 was in the room when union leaders announced the strike.

IAM District 751 President Jon Holden said union leadership tried its best to find a compromise, but supports the strike because it’s what members want.

“I know that we’re acting in their best interests, so you know...we had an agreement that we negotiated, and we recommended that because there was many important things in it, but within our system, our members have the final say. This is exactly how it should be, we achieved everything we could in bargaining, short of a strike, and now it’s in their hands,” said Holden.

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Some workers’ concerns include pay, job security, medical expenses, the absence of a pension, and work-life balance.

In the early morning hours of Friday, workers outside the company’s Everett plant walked picket lines in darkness, using burn barrels to keep warm amid honks from passing cars.

Blasting music from speakers, Twisted Sister’s rock anthem, We’re Not Gonna Take it, was heard - a sentiment that underlined their dissatisfaction with the proposed contract.

Workers have gone on strike seven other times, with the last machinists’ strike in 2008. It lasted just 57 days but cost Boeing at least $2 billion, according to Wall Street analysts.

Boeing reopened negotiations on that contract in 2011 and 2013, when the union made major compromises, including raising employees’ cost of health care and ending its traditional pension program in exchange for agreeing to keep airplane production in Washington.

Now, workers are warning about the ripple effect the strike could have, saying that for every person who goes on strike, four others with be affected around the community. For example, striking workers may save money instead of eating at restaurants and spending money at local businesses.

In terms of the timetable for coming to an agreement, workers say they are prepared to hold out until they get what they feel they deserve.

Holden said that they will take it one day at a time, prioritizing talking with members about their specific needs.

Meanwhile, Boeing issued a statement to KIRO 7 Thursday night:

Over the last several years, Boeing has been plagued with issues, starting with two 737 MAX planes crashing in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. The airplane was grounded worldwide between March 2019 and December 2020.

Then came the door plug blowout on an Alaska Airlines flight on Jan. 5, 2024, which again brought the safety of Boeing’s airplanes under the microscope. The FAA grounded the 737-9 MAX fleet until Jan. 26.

There has also been issues with the company’s Starliner capsule – which was forced to leave its two test pilots at the International Space Station due to thruster trouble and helium leaks.

The company has lost more than $25 billion over about the last six years.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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