Boeing workers are planning to strike after rejecting a proposed deal that included a 25% pay raise. More than 30,000 workers, who build planes like the 737 Max and 777 in Seattle and Portland, will stop working from midnight Pacific Time (0700 GMT) on Friday.
According to BBC, this strike adds more trouble for Boeing, which is already struggling financially after safety issues and two deadly crashes.
This walkout is a big challenge for Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, who took the job last month to help turn the company around.
BBC reports that almost 95% of the union members voted against the deal, and 96% supported the strike.
Union leader Jon Holden said the workers made their message clear: “We strike at midnight.” Even though union representatives had advised workers to accept the deal, the workers were not satisfied.
BBC explains that Boeing’s CEO warned that this strike could hurt the company’s recovery efforts.
The deal offered by Boeing included a 25% pay raise over four years and a promise to build the next commercial plane in Seattle if the project started during the contract. However, the workers initially asked for a 40% raise.
BBC mentions that the last strike in 2008 lasted eight weeks before a deal was reached, and the current contract expires at midnight on Thursday.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8jlj3dnlw7o