Boeing workers are set to strike after rejecting a proposed deal that included a 25% pay raise over four years.
According to the BBC, over 30,000 workers in the Seattle and Portland areas, responsible for producing planes like the 737 Max and 777, will walk out from midnight Pacific Time on Friday.
The strike comes as Boeing faces financial difficulties following safety concerns and fatal crashes.
Nearly 95% of union members voted against the deal, despite union leaders’ recommendation to accept it.
Boeing’s CEO, Kelly Ortberg, warned that the strike could jeopardize the company’s recovery.
The president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751, Jon Holden, confirmed the strike action saying, “We strike at midnight.”
Despite a last-minute appeal from Ortberg, workers stood firm, rejecting terms that included Boeing’s commitment to build its next commercial plane in Seattle if the project began within the contract’s lifetime.
The union had initially sought a 40% pay increase. The last major contract, signed in 2008 after an eight-week strike, was extended in 2014, but it expires at midnight on Thursday.
Aviation analysts warn that the duration of the strike could significantly impact Boeing’s production, particularly for airlines awaiting 737 Max orders.
