New York (AFP) – More than 3,000 striking Boeing defense workers on Thursday voted to end a strike over wage increases and retirement benefits, one of the longest work stoppages in the company’s history. “We’re proud of what our members have fought for together and are ready to get back to building the world’s most advanced military aircraft,” District 837 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a statement.
Striking workers in the midwestern states of Missouri and Illinois had walked off the job on August 4. “We’re pleased with the results and look forward to bringing our full team back together on Nov.17 to support our customers,” Boeing said in a statement. After rejecting four previous offers, workers accepted a wage increase and a $6,000 upfront payment. The average annual base salary will increase from $75,000 to $109,000 at the end of the five-year collective bargaining agreement.
The Boeing machinists work on F-15 and F-18 combat aircraft, the T-7 Red Hawk Advanced Pilot Training System, and MQ-25 unmanned aircraft in factories in Missouri and Illinois. Union leaders had pressed for a higher bonus, more in line with the $12,000 received by IAM members in the Pacific Northwest last November, following a strike that lasted more than seven weeks. The Seattle-area strike shuttered two major Boeing commercial airline manufacturing plants.
IAM representatives recognized that they were unlikely to garner a similar bonus for midwestern workers in light of the higher cost of living in the Seattle region as compared with St. Louis, leading union representatives to push for $10,000 during the talks. Ahead of the vote, IAM District 837 leaders recommended the latest proposal from Boeing.
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