Boeing factory workers vote to accept contract and end strike

Boeing employees line up to vote on a new contract offer from the company (AP/Lindsey Wasson)

Unionised machinists at Boeing voted on Monday to accept a contract offer and end their strike after more than seven weeks, clearing the way for the aerospace giant to resume production of its bestselling airliner and generate much-needed cash.

Leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers district in Seattle said 59% of members who cast ballots agreed to approve the company’s fourth formal offer and the third put to a vote.

The deal includes pay raises of 38% over four years, plus ratification and productivity bonuses.

IAM District 751 president Jon Holden greets union members after announcing they voted to accept a new contract offer at their union hall in Seattle. (AP/Lindsey Wasson)

Boeing refused to meet demands to restore a company pension plan frozen nearly a decade ago.

The contract’s ratification on the eve of election day clears the way for a major US manufacturer and government contractor to restart Pacific Northwest assembly lines that the factory workers’ walkout have left idle for 53 days.

Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said in a message to employees he was pleased to have reached an agreement.

“While the past few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team,” he said.

“We will only move forward by listening and working together. There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company.”

According to the union, the 33,000 workers it represents can return to work as soon as Wednesday or as late as November while Boeing said it might take “a couple of weeks” to resume production, in part because some could need retraining.

Volunteers tally votes on a new contract offer from Boeing at Seattle Union Hall in Seattle (AP/Lindsey Wasson)

Leaders of IAM District 751 had endorsed the latest proposal, saying they thought they had got all they could through negotiations and the strike.

“It is time for our members to lock in these gains and confidently declare victory,” the union district said before the vote. “We believe asking members to stay on strike longer wouldn’t be right as we have achieved so much success.”

President Joe Biden congratulated the machinists and Boeing for coming to an agreement that he said supports fairness in the workplace and improves workers’ ability to retire with dignity.

The contract, he said, is important for Boeing’s future as “a critical part of America’s aerospace sector”.