Approximately 33,000 Boeing workers affiliated with unions are prepared for an early strike this coming Friday.
The dangled agreement, as per the union heads' portrayal, was supposedly the finest they've ever negotiated with Boeing. This agreement ensured a minimum 25% wage hike throughout its term. Moreover, it boosted the union members' job security by guaranteeing that Boeing would manufacture its impending unannounced commercial jet at a unionized facility. In the absence of such a contract provision, there's a chance Boeing would opt to construct the jet at a non-union factory.
However, a staggering 95% of the International Association of Machinists rejected this deal. In a subsequent vote, an astounding 96% authorized a strike, easily surpassing the necessary two-thirds majority to greenlight a work stoppage.
The strike is set to kick off at 11:59 pm PT on Thursday, or 2:59 am ET on Friday. Although there's a chance a fresh agreement could materialize within these remaining hours, it seems rather improbable that the strike can be forestalled, given the widespread ire amongst the grassroots union members towards the company.
This situation is still evolving and will be updated accordingly.
The rejection of the business agreement by the union members has significantly impacted Boeing's future plans, as the company may need to consider manufacturing its upcoming commercial jet at a non-union factory if a new contract isn't negotiated. Despite the potential for a last-minute agreement, it seems unlikely that the planned strike can be averted, given the strong discontent among the union members towards the company.
