Boeing Machinists prepare to go back to work after strike ends

As it turns out, the third time was the charm for Boeing and its 33,000 striking Machinists.

In what was considered a high stakes vote for both sides, 59% of voting union workers approved the latest contract offer from the company Monday, ending a 53-day strike and sending members back to work as soon as Wednesday morning.

The yes vote by over 26,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers comes after two previous no votes. On Sept. 12, Machinists voted 96% to reject an initial contract proposal and authorize a strike. On Oct. 23, members rejected a second offer, with 64% of ballots against.

The deal includes a 38% general wage increase over the next four years that compounds to 43% over the entire life of the contract. It also had a $12,000 ratification bonus.

Late Monday night, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg applauded the move to ratify the contract.

“While the past few months have been difficult for all of us, we are all part of the same team,” Ortberg said in a statement. “We will only move forward by listening and working together. There is much work ahead to return to the excellence that made Boeing an iconic company.”

Monday’s announcement, streamed live on Facebook, was greeted with a mixture of cheers and a few boos.

In a press conference after the announcement, union President Jon Holden called it a hard fought strike on both sides.

“Tonight the strike will end, and now it’s our job to get back to work and start building the airplanes,” Holden said. “I’m proud of our members. It is a win, a very successful win. They achieved a lot, and we’re ready to move forward.”

It was the fourth longest strike in the history of Boeing’s IAM workers. The longest work stoppage was 140 days in 1948, followed by 69 days in 1995 and 57 days in 2008.

As early as 7 a.m. Monday, workers returned to the Edward D. Hansen Conference Center in downtown Everett to vote on the offer for its 33,000 members, including 17,000 in Everett.

“The vote was very quiet, like a funeral,” machinist Brent Seman said.

On Monday morning, some showed their displeasure for union leadership.

A man in a Boeing employee jacket, who only gave his first name as Thomas, handed out leaflets criticizing the latest contract, and called for a no-confidence vote for Holden.

“Once again, Boeing has offered us too many tricks and not enough treats,” the leaflet read.

Thomas said Holden and other union leaders are being too passive.

“We deserve more than what they’ve been offering us,” he said.

The Seattle Times reported Friday that CEO Ortberg intervened personally with the negotiations and delivered an ultimatum to striking workers: Refuse this deal and the next offers from the company will be regressive.

“It was hard bargaining on both sides,” Holden said Monday, “and there always is hard feelings.”

Holden said Monday the union has work to do to heal the divide within its ranks.

“Fifty-nine percent is a lot but there were definitely those not happy with the agreement,” Holden said. “That was a good decision by our members. Now we go back and we rebuild and repair relationships where we need to. This membership is strong though.”

Michael Henneke: 425-339-3431; michael.henneke@heraldnet.com; X: @ihenpecked.