Boeing’s strike halts airplane production at key plants
Thousands of Boeing workers went on strike on Friday after overwhelmingly rejecting a contract their union negotiated, a potentially costly disruption to the aerospace giant as it tries to recover from a series of safety crises. The strike, the first at Boeing in 16 years, brought airplane production to a halt in the Seattle area, home to most of Boeing’s commercial plane manufacturing. The slowdown could also disrupt the company’s supply chain. Boeing plays a substantial role in the U.S. economy. It employs almost 150,000 people across the country — nearly half of them in Washington State — and is one of the nation’s largest exporters. The company, which also makes military jets, rockets, spacecraft and Air Force One, is a global symbol of America’s manufacturing strength. The White House said on Friday that it was in touch with Boeing and the union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. And on Friday evening, a federal mediation service said it would convene talks between the company and the union early next week. Boeing’s stock tumbled 3.7% on Friday and has fallen nearly 40% this year. The company’s debt rating is also in jeopardy. Brian West, Boeing’s chief financial officer, said at a conference on Friday that the strike would affect production, deliveries and operations, and would “jeopardize our recovery.” “We want to get back to the table,” West added. Union leaders and company management had reached a tentative contract agreement on Sunday after months of talks. Union leaders said it was “the best contract we’ve negotiated in our history.” But it fell short of what the union initially sought, including bigger raises, and it was rejected on Thursday by 95 percent of the membership. A vast majority of the 33,000 workers governed by the contract are represented by District 751 of the machinists’ union, Boeing’s largest, and mostly work on commercial airplanes in the Seattle area. The dispute also involves workers in the Portland, Ore., area who are represented by the union’s smaller District W24. The union represents about a fifth of the company’s more than 170,000 employees worldwide.<br/>
https://portal.staralliance.com/cms/news/hot-topics/2024-09-16/general/boeing2019s-strike-halts-airplane-production-at-key-plants
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Boeing’s strike halts airplane production at key plants
Thousands of Boeing workers went on strike on Friday after overwhelmingly rejecting a contract their union negotiated, a potentially costly disruption to the aerospace giant as it tries to recover from a series of safety crises. The strike, the first at Boeing in 16 years, brought airplane production to a halt in the Seattle area, home to most of Boeing’s commercial plane manufacturing. The slowdown could also disrupt the company’s supply chain. Boeing plays a substantial role in the U.S. economy. It employs almost 150,000 people across the country — nearly half of them in Washington State — and is one of the nation’s largest exporters. The company, which also makes military jets, rockets, spacecraft and Air Force One, is a global symbol of America’s manufacturing strength. The White House said on Friday that it was in touch with Boeing and the union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. And on Friday evening, a federal mediation service said it would convene talks between the company and the union early next week. Boeing’s stock tumbled 3.7% on Friday and has fallen nearly 40% this year. The company’s debt rating is also in jeopardy. Brian West, Boeing’s chief financial officer, said at a conference on Friday that the strike would affect production, deliveries and operations, and would “jeopardize our recovery.” “We want to get back to the table,” West added. Union leaders and company management had reached a tentative contract agreement on Sunday after months of talks. Union leaders said it was “the best contract we’ve negotiated in our history.” But it fell short of what the union initially sought, including bigger raises, and it was rejected on Thursday by 95 percent of the membership. A vast majority of the 33,000 workers governed by the contract are represented by District 751 of the machinists’ union, Boeing’s largest, and mostly work on commercial airplanes in the Seattle area. The dispute also involves workers in the Portland, Ore., area who are represented by the union’s smaller District W24. The union represents about a fifth of the company’s more than 170,000 employees worldwide.<br/>
