Historic Strike Halts Boeing’s Plane Production, Affects Thousands of U.S. Suppliers
On Friday, 33,000 union workers at Boeing walked off the job. They went on strike because they did not agree with a proposed four-year contract from the company. This is the first strike at Boeing in 16 years, and it will stop most of the plane production at this big U.S. company. The strike might also cause problems for nearly 10,000 suppliers across the country.
Boeing has 150,000 workers in the U.S. and helps the American economy by $79 billion every year. This support helps about 1.6 million people with jobs.
The contract that the workers rejected included a promise of at least a 25% raise over four years. It also promised more job security by agreeing to build a new jet at a unionized factory. Despite these offers, 95% of the union members voted against the deal, and 96% voted to strike. The strike started at midnight PT on Thursday.
Jon Holden, a leader of the union at Boeing, said the strike is about securing a better future for workers. Boeing said it wants to negotiate a new deal and improve its relationship with the workers and the union.
The strike comes after years of issues at Boeing, including layoffs and moving work to non-union factories. These problems have made workers unhappy. Jim Bloomer, a Boeing worker on strike, said he feels the company hasn’t treated them fairly, especially given the high value of the planes they build.
CEO’s Appeal and Boeing’s Challenges
Boeing’s new CEO, Kelly Ortberg, recognized that workers have been unhappy with past contracts. He asked them to accept the deal to help secure a stable future. Even though he asked workers to accept the contract, the strike shows ongoing frustrations with the company’s handling of worker issues and recent troubles, including safety problems with the 737 Max plane.
The strike will continue until a new deal is made. While it won’t stop planes that are already flying, it will delay the delivery of new planes. This delay will affect Boeing’s main source of income. Boeing’s financial difficulties and worker issues highlight the challenges facing this major American company.