Union Ends Strike, ‘Happy Election Day! Boeing Workers Have a Contract!’

Unionized Machinists at Boeing have voted to approve a contract offer that will bring an end to seven weeks of strike action.
The approval paves the way for the aerospace manufacturer to resume production on its flagship airliners and start recovering from significant financial strain amounting to billions of dollars.
More than 33,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in Washington, Oregon, and California voted on the proposal, with 59 percent supporting the deal, according to union leaders.
The news was shared on Twitter, formerly known as X, late on Monday by the official Machinists Union account for IAM “33,000 front line workers at Boeing … voted to ratify a new union contract with the company that has instantly set a new standard for compensation and wages for aerospace industry workers.”
The X account Daily Union Elections posted in response “Happy Election Day! Boeing workers have a contract!”
The Boeing workers’ new contract, effective immediately, includes a 38 percent general wage increase over four years, compounded to 43.65 percent, alongside a ratification bonus of $22,000.
It has been almost two months since disagreements about pensions, stagnating wages, and job security halted production at Boeing’s Pacific Northwest facilities.
Workers can prepare to return as soon as Wednesday, with a deadline of Nov. 12.
The new four-year deal brings several significant gains for union workers.
According to the IAM, wage increases include yearly raises of 13 percent, 9 percent, 9 percent, and 7 percent, adding up to 43.65 percent over the contract term.
Additionally, the $12,000 can be split between direct payments and contributions to 401(k) retirement accounts, based on individual employee choice.
The contract also reinstates the AMPP incentive plan with a minimum guaranteed payout of four percent and continues employer 401(k) matching up to eight percent, while securing job protections and improved overtime rules.
Union President Jon Holden and Brandon Bryant, IAM District W24 President, shared the importance of these provisions in a joint statement, describing the contract as “a new foundation to build on for the future.”
“Working people know what it’s like when a company overreaches and takes away more than is fair.”
The strike began in September after 94.6 percent of workers rejected Boeing’s initial offer to increase their pay by 25 percent by four years.
It was argued that years of unfair compensation meant this barely scratched the surface.
Boeing’s refusal to revive the pension plan, frozen since 2014, was a central point of contention. However, IAM leaders said the final agreement, even without a restored pension, achieved significant improvements.
Production of critical aircraft, including the 737 MAX, was halted during the strike, impacting the aerospace supply chain and delaying aircraft deliveries to airlines.
“This contract will have a positive and generational impact on the lives of workers at Boeing and their families,” Holden and Bryant said in their statement.
“We hope these gains inspire other workers to organize and join a union.”
Reactions among union members remained divided. While some celebrated the new contract, others have voiced frustration over unmet demands.
Seattle-based calibration specialist Eep Bolaño called the approval “most certainly not a victory.” Although she voted in favor of the contract, Bolaño described it as a “wise but infuriating choice” forced by Boeing’s financial leverage.
“We were threatened by a company that was crippled, dying, bleeding on the ground, and us as one of the biggest unions in the country couldn’t even extract two-thirds of our demands from them. This is humiliating,” she said.
Conversely, William Gardiner, a 13-year Boeing employee, saw the agreement as an overall win.
“I’m extremely pumped over this vote,” Gardiner said. “We didn’t fix everything—that’s OK. Overall, it’s a very positive contract.”
Throughout the negotiation process, the Biden administration played an active role.
Acting U.S. Secretary of Labor Julie Su intervened to facilitate discussions, while President Joe Biden commended both sides for reaching a fair compromise.
This agreement supports fairness in the workplace and strengthens Boeing as a “critical part of America’s aerospace sector,” Biden said in a statement ahead of this week’s election.
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee also praised the outcome, affirming the skills and dedication of Boeing’s workforce.
“Washington is home to the world’s most skilled aerospace workers, and they understandably took a stand for the respect and compensation they deserve,” Inslee stated, congratulating union members on their decision.
The strike, Boeing’s first machinist walkout since 2008, follows a turbulent period for the aerospace giant. Earlier this year, federal investigations were launched after a safety incident involving a 737 Max plane, and Boeing recently reported a $6 billion third quarter loss in the wake of a new CEO Kelly Ortberg’s appointment.
Ortberg, who only started at Boeing in August, told employees it may take “a couple of weeks” to fully restore operations in a companywide note.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press