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THOUSANDS OF BOEING EMPLOYEES WILL CONTINUE TO STRIKE AFTER UNION MEMBERS REJECTED THE NEW LABOR DEAL OFFERED BY THE COMPANY WEDNESDAY.
64 percent of the MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS, VOTED, **AGAINST** THE DEAL — WHICH WOULD HAVE SEEN WAGES GO UP BY 35 PERCENT OVER FOUR YEARS — WITH AN **IMMEDIATE** 12 PERCENT RAISE.
BEFORE WEDNESDAY’S VOTE, BOEING WARNED IT WOULD CONTINUE TO BURN CASH THROUGH 20-25 AND REPORTED A 6 BILLION DOLLAR QUARTERLY LOSS — ITS LARGEST SINCE 20-20.
THE STRIKE, WHICH BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 13-TH, IS COSTING THE COMPANY ABOUT ONE-BILLION DOLLARS A MONTH.
THE BIGGEST STICKING POINT FOR UNION MEMBERS IS THE LACK OF A TRADITIONAL PENSION PLAN.
IN 20-14, UNION MEMBERS NARROWLY VOTED TO GIVE UP THE PENSION AFTER THE COMPANY THREATENED TO BUILD THE 7-37 MAX AND 7-77 X, PLANES, AT NON-UNION FACILITIES.
IT’S A MOVE THAT MANY MEMBERS STILL RESENT A DECADE LATER.
CHARLES FROMONG | BOEING WORKER
“Well, they get their pension, don’t they? CEOs get $100 million with the stock options when they retire. It’s costing them billions a month. It’s costing me thousands. How do you like it? You’ve been costing me thousands for ten years. No wage increases, 1% COLAS, one cent, you know, and then working two weekends, three weekends straight. No life balance. I feel sorry for the young people. I’ve spent my life here and I’m getting ready to go. But they deserve a pension, and I deserve an increase.”
BOEING’S NEW C-E-O KELLY ORTBERG HAS SAID REACHING A DEAL WITH MACHINISTS IS A PRIORITY IN ORDER TO GET THE COMPANY BACK ON TRACK AFTER YEARS OF SAFETY AND QUALITY PROBLEMS.
EARLIER THIS MONTH — HE ANNOUNCED BOEING WILL CUT 10 PERCENT OF ITS GLOBAL WORKFORCE, WHICH IS ABOUT 17-THOUSAND JOBS.