Some 33,000 Boeing employees in Washington, Oregon and California are casting their vote on whether to accept or reject a tentative contract that Boeing and their union have been negotiating since March.
While Boeing and union leadership are encouraging a yes vote on the contract, many employees are unhappy with the terms laid in it and a strike is likely,
The tentative deal includes a 25% raise over 4 years, which is short of 40% increase that the union went into negotiations hoping to achieve. Boeing also promised that the next new plane will be made in Washington and will add more money into employees' 401k plans.
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However, there is no restoration of the pension plan that was given up a decade ago, a major sticking point for many union members.
According to Boeing, this new contact would raise the average annual salary from over $75,000 a year, to over $106,000 a year.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and CEO Stephanie Pope wrote to employees in an email this week, "We put our best foot forward on the first offer to give you the reward and the respect you deserve. Simply put, this is the best contract we've ever presented."
IAM751 President Jon Holden, encouraging members earlier this week to vote yes on this, said: "We recommended acceptance because we can't guarantee we can achieve more in a strike. But that is your decision to make and is a decision that we will protect and support, no matter what."
"Taking the pension was a big blow to the people who had fought for that for generations, so we're just trying to get a fair shake, not a greedy one, but a fair one," said Boeing machinist, Peter Tallerico.
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Tallerico says that many machinists are disappointed with the contract and hoped for more investment in employees longer term. Boeing is currently $60 billion in debt and is working to build trust back up with costumers and the flying public.
Tallerico says now is the time to try and gain back the benefits that were lost, using the leverage workers have as Boeing works on its reputation.
"This contract right here is going to make this either a job or a career for people," he said.
If the contract is voted down, the strike will start at 12:01 a.m. Friday morning.
