SEATTLE — Factory workers at Boeing vote in favor a contract offer and the end their strike After more than seven weeks, the way has been cleared for the aerospace giant to resume production of its best-selling aircraft and generate much-needed cash.

Leaders of the International Machinists and Aeronautical Workers Union district in Seattle said 59% of voting members agreed to approve the company’s fourth formal proposal, and a third is up for a vote. The agreement includes 38% wage increase for four years and approval and productivity bonuses.

But Boeing refused to meet strikers’ restoration demand company retirement plan It was frozen almost a decade ago.

Approval of the contract Election Day eve It cleared the way for a major U.S. manufacturer and government contractor to restart Pacific Northwest assembly lines that the strike had idled for 53 days.

Bank of America analysts estimated last month that Boeing was losing about $50 million a day during the now-ended strike; This did not affect the non-union plant in South Carolina where the company produces 787s.

Boeing’s CEO Kelly Ortberg In his message to employees, he said he was pleased to reach an agreement.

“Even though the last few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team,” Ortberg said. “We will only move forward by listening and working together. “There is much work ahead of us to return to the excellence that has made Boeing an iconic company.”

According to the union, the 33,000 workers it represents will be able to return to work on Wednesday or as late as November 12. Ortberg said it could take “a few weeks” to partially resume production because some workers need retraining.

The average annual salary for Boeing machinists, currently $75,608, will eventually rise to $119,309 under the new contract, according to the company. The union said the combined value of the promised wage increase would amount to an increase of more than 43% over the life of the agreement.

“It’s time for us to come together. This is a victory,” IAM District 751 president Jon Holden told members late Monday when announcing the tally. “You stood strong, you stood tall and you won.”

Even among union members who accepted the contract, reactions were mixed.

Seattle-based calibration expert Eep Bolaño said that although he voted “yes,” the result was “definitely not a victory.” Bolaño said he and his colleagues made a wise but infuriating choice in accepting the offer.

“We were threatened by a company that was crippled, dying, bleeding to death, and as one of the largest unions in the country, we couldn’t even get two-thirds of our demands from them. “This is insulting,” he said.

For other employees, such as William Gardiner, a laboratory leader in calibration services, the revised proposal was cause for celebration.

“I’m extremely excited about this vote,” said Gardiner, who has worked at Boeing for 13 years. “We didn’t fix everything; No problem. “Overall, it is a very positive contract.”

Union leaders approved the latest proposal, saying they thought they had done all they could through negotiations and striking. In addition to the wage increase, the new contract gives each worker a $12,000 endorsement bonus and retains the performance bonus that the company wanted to eliminate.

President Joe Biden congratulated the machinists and Boeing for reaching an agreement that he said promotes fairness in the workplace and improves workers’ ability to retire with dignity. He said the contract was important to Boeing’s future as “a critical part of America’s aerospace industry.”

A continued strike would put Boeing in a difficult situation more financial danger and uncertainty. Last month Ortberg announced plans to: laid off 17,000 people and a stock sale To prevent the company’s credit rating from falling into junk status.

separation of labor The strike, the first by Boeing machinists since an eight-week strike in 2008, was the latest setback in an unstable year. aviation giant.

Boeing fell under several federal investigations this year after the door plug Exploded 737 Max plane During an Alaska Airlines flight in January. Federal regulators have imposed limits on Boeing airplane production that they say will last until they are confident production safety in the company.

The door-blocking incident has reignited concerns about the safety of the 737 Max. Two of the planes crashed less than five months apart in 2018 and 2019, killing 346 people. After efforts to turn the company around failed, the then-CEO announced in March: he was going to resign. In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud for deceiving regulators in approving the 737 Max.