Boeing reaches tentative deal with workers to avert strike
Boeing reached a tentative deal on Sunday for a new contract with unions representing more than 33,000 workers, a significant step toward avoiding a strike that threatened to shut down production when the existing agreement expires later this week. The proposal, which has yet to be voted on by the workers, would be the first full agreement between the company and the unions in 16 years and would deliver raises of 25 percent over the four-year life of the contract. That falls short of the 40 percent the unions had sought, but includes other victories, including improvements to health care and retirement benefits, and a promise to build the company’s next commercial airplane in the Seattle and Portland regions.If approved, the deal would resolve one of the most pressing items on the agenda of Boeing’s new chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, who started a month ago. Mr. Ortberg, the former head of aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins, inherited a company in crisis after a panel blew off a 737 Max jet in January. Though no one was seriously injured, that episode reignited concerns from five years ago about the quality and safety of Boeing planes after two fatal crashes involving Max planes. It also shed light on Boeing’s shortcomings on quality control. The leadership of the unions — District 751 and the much smaller District W24 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers — urged their members to approve the deal. “Negotiations are a give and take, and although there was no way to achieve success on every single item, we can honestly say that this proposal is the best contract we’ve negotiated in our history,” Jon Holden, president of District 751, and Brandon Bryant, president of District W24, said in the joint message. The unions mainly represent production workers who build commercial and military airplanes. District 751 is by far Boeing’s largest union, representing the vast majority of the workers governed by the proposed and existing contracts. Many of the workers live in the Seattle area, which is home to most of Boeing’s commercial airplane production.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-09-09/general/boeing-reaches-tentative-deal-with-workers-to-avert-strike
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Boeing reaches tentative deal with workers to avert strike
Boeing reached a tentative deal on Sunday for a new contract with unions representing more than 33,000 workers, a significant step toward avoiding a strike that threatened to shut down production when the existing agreement expires later this week. The proposal, which has yet to be voted on by the workers, would be the first full agreement between the company and the unions in 16 years and would deliver raises of 25 percent over the four-year life of the contract. That falls short of the 40 percent the unions had sought, but includes other victories, including improvements to health care and retirement benefits, and a promise to build the company’s next commercial airplane in the Seattle and Portland regions.If approved, the deal would resolve one of the most pressing items on the agenda of Boeing’s new chief executive, Kelly Ortberg, who started a month ago. Mr. Ortberg, the former head of aerospace supplier Rockwell Collins, inherited a company in crisis after a panel blew off a 737 Max jet in January. Though no one was seriously injured, that episode reignited concerns from five years ago about the quality and safety of Boeing planes after two fatal crashes involving Max planes. It also shed light on Boeing’s shortcomings on quality control. The leadership of the unions — District 751 and the much smaller District W24 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers — urged their members to approve the deal. “Negotiations are a give and take, and although there was no way to achieve success on every single item, we can honestly say that this proposal is the best contract we’ve negotiated in our history,” Jon Holden, president of District 751, and Brandon Bryant, president of District W24, said in the joint message. The unions mainly represent production workers who build commercial and military airplanes. District 751 is by far Boeing’s largest union, representing the vast majority of the workers governed by the proposed and existing contracts. Many of the workers live in the Seattle area, which is home to most of Boeing’s commercial airplane production.<br/>
