Boeing’s striking machinist union said on Tuesday night that it has held ‘productive’ face-to-face talks with the embattled aerospace giant in a bid to bring a crippling walkout to an end.
The talks come days after members of the IAM District 751 union rejected the latest contract offer from Boeing, which had promised a 35% pay raise over the course of the four-year agreement, plus a $7,000 one-time ratification bonus and an improved retirement plan.
In a short statement, the union said it had once again met with Boeing, alongside Acting Secretary of Labor Julie Su, as it continues to “engage with the company to secure the best possible outcome for our members.”
Over 30,000 machinists who work in the Portland and Seattle areas have been on strike since mid-September, bringing aircraft assembly lines across Puget Sound to a standstill.
The machinists build some of Boeing’s best-selling aircraft, including the 737MAX and the widebody 777 model.
The latest offer was rejected by 64% of factory workers following a 24-hour ballot on October 23. The union conceded that whilst it had made “tremendous gains” in talks with Boeing, the contract had still failed to make up for years of wage losses.
Last week, Boeing reported crippling quarterly losses of $6 billion on the back of the walkout, with CEO Kelly Ortberg admitting that trust in the company had eroded due to “serious lapses” in its performance over the last few years.
Boeing has already announced plans to lay off up to 10% of its workforce as it desperately seeks ways to reduce its mounting debt. The company has also told frustrated airline customers that the first deliveries of its much-delayed 777X next-generation long-haul aircraft will be pushed back further to 2026.
