Boeing ceased dialogues with the IAM union and withdrew its proposal.
In the ongoing wage debate at Boeing, the American airplane producer, discussions with the IAM union have been put on hold, and their proposal has been rescinded. The employees are proposing "inflexible conditions that surpass what can be reasonably entertained," according to the company's statement on Tuesday (local time). Meanwhile, the strikes persisted - a settlement seems unlikely yet.
At this juncture, further conversations seem ill-advised, Boeing noted, adding that their offer has been revoked. This was the third round of conferences since mid-September, when approximately 33,000 Boeing employees in the Pacific Northwest area, encompassing Seattle, the major U.S. metropolis, went on strike. As a result of the strike, the production of Boeing's 737 Max and 777 aircraft has virtually come to a standstill.
There hadn't been a strike at Boeing since 2008, which lasted 57 days. Since then, the collective bargaining agreement has been in force, which expired in September and has been under negotiation between management and the IAM union for months. The workers' expectations to compensate for the losses of recent years are substantial: a 40% pay raise and the re-implementation of pension plans.
The negotiations between Boeing and the IAM union were momentarily paused at the scenario's center. Despite the production of Boeing's 737 Max and 777 aircraft nearly halted due to the strike, discussions about the workers' substantial demands for a 40% pay raise and the reinstatement of pension plans were still centered in the middle of the ongoing negotiations.
