New York., Boeing on Sunday announced a tentative agreement with the union representing more than 32,000 workers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, which could help avert a possible strike on Sept. 13.
The four-year deal, which includes a 25 percent across-the-board pay increase and a commitment to build the next commercial airplane in the Seattle area, is a first win for Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, who took over last month.
“As part of the contract, our Puget Sound team will build Boeing’s next new airplane. This would join our other iconic models, meaning job security for generations to come,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Stephanie Pope said in a message to employees.
The proposal also includes 12 weeks of paid parental leave, greater job security, improved retirement benefits and other benefits.
The agreement will have to be approved next Thursday by workers at Boeing factories near Seattle and Portland represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).
An accepted deal would guarantee labor peace for Boeing at a time when the planemaker is burning through cash and trying to ramp up production of its best-selling 737 MAX to a target pace of 38 planes a month by the end of the year.
Boeing is battling a quality crisis and facing scrutiny from regulators and customers after an incident in January when a door stopper from a nearly new MAX flew off an Alaska Air plane in flight.
Although the union had asked for a 40 percent raise in its first full negotiation with Boeing in 16 years, it did achieve other gains, including gaining significant input on safety and quality in the production system.
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– 2024-09-12 23:52:16
