UPDATE:
SEATTLE (AP) – Boeing factory workers have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a six-week strike that has halted production of the aerospace giant’s bestselling jetliners.
Local union leaders in Seattle said the proposal fell short of the majority of support needed from members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers who cast ballots on Wednesday.
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PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – After nearly six weeks of being on strike, union members from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted on a new Boeing contract.
“The consensus today is that people are excited to have something to vote on,” said Brandon Bryant, president of IAM District W24.
Since their strike began, workers have been out on the sidewalk in front of Boeing’s Portland location with their picket signs.
“We’ve been on strike for about 41 days, gone without a paycheck, we’ve lost our healthcare,” Bryant said. “But it’s all because we value what our labor is to the Boeing company. We think it’s important and it’s worthy of respect and respect comes with wages and benefits.”
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On Wednesday, union members voted on the latest proposed contract. The contract includes a 35% wage raise, reinstatement of an incentive plan, increased 401K company match, and pension benefits.
However, one employee on the picket line told FOX 12 that the new contract still isn’t good enough, especially for the employees who have been around for decades.
“I would say, let’s vote ‘no,’” said Tim Thornton. “There’s people that have been with this company for 20 years that are buckling down and want to see some change.”
Thornton and some of his fellow employees have concerns about the pension and lack of medical benefits. He said he feels like Boeing employees deserve better.
“What we do in there is super complicated,” Thornton said. “Not a lot of people understand how airplanes even work, to begin with, let alone [how to] work on them and [how] to build them. They’re such a huge part of our everyday life.”
Bryant told FOX 12 he wants to clarify that Boeing jobs shouldn’t just be jobs, they should be careers. Regardless of Wednesday’s results, he said he hopes that message is received.
“They can’t make the best airplanes in the world without us,” Bryant said. “They need help correcting some of the errors that they’ve made and in this new contract, we have opportunities to have a say in changes and a say in inspections and more so than we ever have before.”
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FOX 12 reached out to Boeing for a statement on the proposed contract. In an email, Boeing said, “We look forward to our employees voting on the negotiated proposal.”
According to Bryant, the union should know the results of the vote between 6 p.m. And 7 p.m. On Wednesday.
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