Nov. 4 (UPI) — Tens of thousands of striking Boeing machinists voted Monday to ratify a new contract, ending their seven-week work stoppage.
In a statement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union said its members approved to ratify the contract by 59%.
Workers can return to work as early as the first shift Wednesday, it said.
“Working people know what it’s like when a company overreaches and takes away more than is fair,” Jon Holden, president of IAM District 751, and Brandon Bryant, president of IAM District W24, said in a joint statement.
“Through this strike and the resulting victory, frontline workers at Boeing have done their part to begin rebalancing the scales in favor of the middle class — and in doing so, we hope to inspire other workers in our industry and beyond to continue standing up for justice at work.”
The contract includes a 38% pay increase over the course of the four-year contract but does not include the pension change the union had demanded.
The pay increase is better than the 25% the union turned down before going on strike nearly two months ago, but only slightly better than the 35% the 33,000-member union had turned down in the last vote on Oct. 24.
“This agreement represents a new standard in the aerospace industry — one that sends a clear statement that aerospace jobs must be middle class careers in which workers can thrive,” Brian Bryant, IAM international president, said late Monday following the vote.
“This agreement reflects the positive results of workers sticking together, participating in workplace democracy and demonstrating solidarity with each other and with the community during a necessary and effective strike.”
Members voted through 7 p.m. PST on Monday, with the announcement of the tally made late Monday night.
Pro-union President Joe Biden issued a statement congratulating both sides on “coming to an agreement that reflects the hard work and sacrifices” made by the workers.
“Over the last four years, we’ve shown collective bargaining works. Good contracts benefit workers, businesses and consumers — and are key to growing the American economy from the middle out and the bottom up,” he said.
The machinist’s average pay, according to Boeing, will be $119,309 by the end of the offered contract. Many of the union workers in the Seattle area, where most of the airplanes are made, had complained about inflation and the rising cost of living in the area.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat who represents Washington’s 7th District, which includes most of Seattle, had voiced support for the striking during the work stoppage.
Following the announcement late Monday, she remarked in a statement on Boeing’s history on building the middle class in her city and how this contract “is a promising sign that the new leadership is committed to returning to that role as a business that is contributing to our region, state and country’s well-being for current and future generations.”
The strike crippled Boeing’s union factories.
The plant closures because of the strike left hundreds of Spirit AeroSystems employees furloughed while Boeing has laid off 17,000 others. It has also delayed the debut of its 777X widebody airplane until 2026.