Boeing machinists’ union leadership has endorsed the latest contract proposal and is calling for a vote early next week that could potentially end a weeks-long strike.
“It is time for our members to commit to these achievements and confidently declare victory,” the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a statement. “We believe that it would not be right to ask members to continue on strike because we have had so much success.”
The recommendation comes just over a week after union members voted to reject an earlier contract proposal, and just under seven weeks after 33,000 union members left their jobs on September 13.
The IAM leadership said the latest proposal “builds on everything achieved in the September 12, 2024 agreement,” and also adds an across-the-board wage increase of 38% over four years.
According to the company, the average operator wage would be $119,309 when the contract expires, an increase of approximately $43,700 from the average of the previous contract.
The new proposal also combines a $7,000 ratification bonus from the previously rejected contract, and a $5,000 retirement benefit into one lump sum of $12,000 that members can add to their salary, their 401k or a combination of the two.
While the latest offer increases the company’s 401k matching, it did not bring back the retirement benefit that was frozen in 2014. Reinstating that pension plan was one of the key issues that led the union’s membership to reject the previous offers.
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Union members will vote on the latest proposal on Monday.
The machinists’ strike has halted production at Seattle-area assembly plants, and Boeing cannot produce new 737s until the strike ends.
Boeing continues to try to regain its footing amid production issues and federal investigations related to the January flight panel burst on an Alaska Airlines flight.
Last week the company reported a $6.1 billion loss in the third quarter.
Kate Gibson, Aimee Picchi and
contributed to this report.
