Around 30,000 employees, who manufacture aircraft in the Portland and Seattle regions, including the 737 Max and 777, stopped working at midnight on Friday, Pacific Time (0700 GMT).
The walkout represents yet another blow to the company, which is losing more and more money while trying to rebuild its reputation following a string of dangerous incidents, including two deadly crashes.
Additionally, it is a serious setback for Kelly Ortberg, Boeing’s newly appointed CEO, who was brought on board last month with the goal of turning the company around.
Approximately 95% of union members who voted opposed the salary agreement, and 96% of them were in favor of going on strike until a new deal was reached.
Jon Holden, president of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751, stated, “Our members spoke loud and clear tonight.”
He said, “We strike at midnight.”
“We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union, and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement,” the statement from Boeing stated. “The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members.”
Union representatives encouraged members to back the proposed agreement earlier this week.
