Does 35 percent more money over four years sound like a good tariff offer? Not for Boeing workers after several zero rounds. They refuse. The strike continues.
The striking Boeing workers also rejected the plane maker’s improved offer of a 35 percent increase in income in four years. The strike that paralyzed production of the best-selling 737 model and the long-haul 777 jet continues. The financial pressure on Airbus’ competitor, which has been in crisis for years, will increase even further.
In the vote on Wednesday, 64 percent spoke out against the offer, as the IAM union announced. “After ten years of sacrifices, there is still a lot of ground to make up,” emphasized the union leadership after the vote. The workers rejected the first Boeing offer with a plus of 25 percent by a majority of almost 95 percent.
The new offer also included a one-off payment of $7,000 (around 6,500 euros) – as well as the receipt of bonus payments that were originally supposed to be abolished.
The strike has been going on since mid-September. Boeing recently announced that it would cut 10 percent of its jobs. Boeing boss Kelly Ortberg did not give an exact number of jobs – but according to information from the turn of the year, the aircraft manufacturer had a good 170,000 employees. The company must adapt the workforce to financial reality, explained Ortberg.
The IAM has around 33,000 members at Boeing. The union last went on strike in 2008. The strike lasted 57 days and cost the company around $2 billion, according to analyst estimates.
Source: Stern
