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Boeing workers in the Seattle region voted overwhelmingly to strike Friday, rejecting a contract the airline giant billed as a boon to employees given the company’s dire financial situation.
Workers voted 94.6 percent against the deal and 96 percent approved the strike, said Jon Holden, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751.
“Our members have spoken clearly tonight,” said the leader of this union, which represents more than 30,000 workers at the aircraft manufacturer in this region.
“We will strike at midnight,” that is, at 07:00 GMT on Friday, he said.
The protest will affect two major assembly plants in the Puget Sound region.
The workforce opposed the preliminary agreement reached between Boeing management and union leaders at the company, which provided for a 25% salary increase over four years and a commitment to invest in the region.
However, workers felt the agreement was not as generous as intended, pointing out, for example, that the 25% increase was misleading because it eliminated an annual bonus given by the company.
The strike comes amid growing labor unrest in the United States, which has seen similar protests in the auto, entertainment and other industries.
It also comes at a delicate time for Boeing, whose reputation has been tarnished by various air safety incidents.
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