Seattle-area IAM workers vote for preliminary strike authorization | Boeing

A Seattle-area local of the International Assn. of Machinists and Aerospace Workers called on about 32,000 Boeing workers to vote for a possible strike in the coming weeks as the union prepares to finalize negotiations on a new contract with the plane maker. IAM Local 751 represents Boeing workers at two major assembly plants, one in Renton, Washington, where the 737 MAX program is underway, and another in Everett, Washington, where the 777 program is based.

In a statement, Boeing described the current employee vote as “procedural.”

Boeing and the union began negotiations in March on a new contract to replace the current one, which expires at midnight on Sept. 12. If members approve the proposal now before them, it will empower IAM to threaten a strike during contract negotiations. Authorizing a specific strike would require a later vote.

The union is expected to demand a significant wage increase in these talks.

This is the first collective bargaining session between Boeing and IAM since 2008. During that time, workers have won a cost-of-living increase, but in the next contract, the union is expected to seek a significant wage increase—as much as 40%, according to some reports.

Relations between the manufacturer and the union have been strained in recent decades, notably due to Boeing’s decision to locate its 787 Dreamliner wide-body aircraft program in North Charleston, South Carolina, a right-to-work state.

“We remain confident that we can reach an agreement that balances the needs of our employees and the business realities we face as a company,” Boeing said in a statement.