Boeing's striking factory workers in the Pacific Northwest are set to resume negotiations with the company on Friday, as announced by the union representing them. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers will meet with Boeing alongside federal mediators after a hiatus in formal negotiations that lasted over a week.
The union expressed readiness to address critical issues identified by its members in order to reach an agreement, emphasizing the importance of negotiation as the key to resolving the strike.
Boeing confirmed the upcoming talks, marking progress following a recent dispute where the company unveiled a revised contract to its 33,000 striking workers through the media and set a deadline for ratification by Friday night.
The revised contract, described as Boeing's 'best and final' offer, includes pay raises of 30% over four years, up from the initial 25% proposed in the rejected deal that led to the strike. The offer aims to increase the average annual pay for machinists from $75,608 to $111,155 by the end of the four-year contract, while maintaining productivity-based bonuses.
Despite Boeing's adjustments, many workers expressed dissatisfaction with the offer, citing the rising living costs in the Puget Sound area since the last negotiations held 16 years ago.
Boeing, facing various challenges this year, is keen to end the costly strike that has halted production of its popular airline planes, including the Boeing 737s, 767s, and 777s. The strike has prompted the company to implement cost-cutting measures, such as temporary furloughs for thousands of nonunion managers and employees.
