MEMBERS of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) have ratified a four-year contract with Boeing, ending a 53-day strike that cost the company billions of dollars and forced it to halt aircraft production in the Pacific Northwest.
The 33,000-strong union said on November 4 that members ratified the deal by a 59 per cent - 41 per cent margin, reports London's Air Cargo News.
IAM's members primarily work at Boeing's facilities in the Pacific Northwest, including its 737-assembly site in Renton and its 767 and 777 assembly facility in Everett.
In a statement following the results of the vote, IAM District 751 president Jon Holden and IAM District W24 president Brandon Bryant said: 'Through this victory and the strike that made it possible, IAM members have taken a stand for respect and fair wages in the workplace.'
Added IAM International president Brian Bryant: 'This agreement represents a new standard in the aerospace industry - one that sends a clear statement that aerospace jobs must be middle class careers in which workers can thrive.'
The new contract will bring workers' wages close to the 40 per cent gain that IAM leaders sought when they began negotiating with Boeing months ago.
Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said in a staff message that the airframer is 'pleased' to reach an agreement with the union, calling it an 'important time in our history'.
Mr Ortberg added: 'There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company.'
Union members walked off the job on September 13 after rejecting by a 95 per cent margin Boeing's initial offer for 25 per cent wage gains over four years.
With the new deal in hand, Boeing can begin the complicated process of getting its production lines up and running again. Analysts say Boeing will need months to get its 737 lines back to smooth operations.
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The 33,000-strong union said on November 4 that members ratified the deal by a 59 per cent - 41 per cent margin, reports London's Air Cargo News.
IAM's members primarily work at Boeing's facilities in the Pacific Northwest, including its 737-assembly site in Renton and its 767 and 777 assembly facility in Everett.
In a statement following the results of the vote, IAM District 751 president Jon Holden and IAM District W24 president Brandon Bryant said: 'Through this victory and the strike that made it possible, IAM members have taken a stand for respect and fair wages in the workplace.'
Added IAM International president Brian Bryant: 'This agreement represents a new standard in the aerospace industry - one that sends a clear statement that aerospace jobs must be middle class careers in which workers can thrive.'
The new contract will bring workers' wages close to the 40 per cent gain that IAM leaders sought when they began negotiating with Boeing months ago.
Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said in a staff message that the airframer is 'pleased' to reach an agreement with the union, calling it an 'important time in our history'.
Mr Ortberg added: 'There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company.'
Union members walked off the job on September 13 after rejecting by a 95 per cent margin Boeing's initial offer for 25 per cent wage gains over four years.
With the new deal in hand, Boeing can begin the complicated process of getting its production lines up and running again. Analysts say Boeing will need months to get its 737 lines back to smooth operations.
SeaNews Turkey
