Striking workers at Boeing will vote Monday on the aerospace giant’s latest contract proposal to end a bruising work stoppage that has dragged on for more than seven weeks.

The vote by nearly 33,000 machinists in the Pacific Northwest could pave the way for production to restart at two Seattle-area factories that produce the 737 MAX and 777 planes after workers rejected two previous proposals.

Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg implored the strikers to approve the agreement.

“I know the strike has been difficult for you, as well as for our customers, suppliers, communities and everyone who works at Boeing,” Ortberg said in a message to employees Friday. he said.

“It is time for us all to come together and focus on rebuilding the business and delivering the best aircraft in the world. people It’s up to us.”

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International Union of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751 has been on strike since September 13, adding to Boeing’s woes amid increased regulatory scrutiny of production and quality control in the wake of security breaches.

Facing a cash crunch, the aviation giant also launched a stock offering last week that raised more than $20 billion.

Boeing’s latest offer to its workers includes a 38 percent pay increase over the four-year life of the contract, compared to the 35 percent increase in the previous offer, and close to the 40 percent pay increase the union had originally targeted.

The proposal also allows IAM members to receive a $12,000 bonus as an immediate cash payment rather than splitting the funds between a $7,000 immediate payment and a $5,000 contribution to their 401k retirement plan.

Jon Holden, president of the Seattle union, urged members to “lock in” the contract’s gains in a message on the group’s website.

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“You can confidently declare victory, vote yes on this agreement and build this for future generations,” Holden said. “Your entire bargaining committee believes it is time to end this strike and move forward.”

IAM’s open support marks a change in the union’s stance on the previous contract proposal, which it said was worth putting to a vote but did not approve.

According to a report in the Seattle Times, Holden’s stance comes after Ortberg personally attended the final negotiations, telling IAM that this would be the company’s final contract offer before it began rolling back previous concessions.

On September 12, members overwhelmingly rejected a proposal for a 25 percent raise over four years. The second proposal, which promised a 35 percent wage increase, was rejected by nearly two-thirds of members on 23 October.

The latest contract proposal requires the company to increase contributions to employees’ 401K plans but does not reinstate the old retirement plan after the 2014 contract eliminated the program for new employees.

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Refund requested

The IAM strike stemmed from workers’ anger over more than a decade of nearly flat wages; This problem has been exacerbated by high inflation and high costs of living in recent years in the Seattle area, a growing tech hub.

Many employees are angry about the hard bargaining Boeing employed during negotiations in 2011 and 2014, when Boeing was profitable.

Quality inspector Mike Corsetti, who has been working at Boeing for 13 years, said that he was positive about the latest offer after rejecting previous offers.

“I’m in favor of the idea that ‘Boeing can do better,'” said Corsetti, who sees restoring pension benefits and additional restrictions on when the company can request overtime as a priority.

Corsetti said the company’s difficult financial situation was due to its own mistakes, including its decision to undervalue workers with previous offers during contract negotiations.

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But Kamie Bryan, who has worked in Everett for about 18 years, said she plans to vote yes this time after rejecting previous proposals.

Bryan said the final salary increase was close to IAM’s original request. He’s also concerned about colleagues who are burning out. money and they went to food banks for their families.

“Financially, I can make it through December, but I have a lot of union brothers and sisters who are struggling,” he said. “I think that’s a pretty good offer.”

Source: AFP