Boeing strike persists as workers reject 35% pay proposal
Boeing employees have rejected the 35% wage increase proposed by the company's management, which means their strike, which has been ongoing for a month and a half, will continue, reported the AFP agency on Thursday, citing the union's website.
Approximately 33,000 employees from two key factories in the American state of Washington are participating in the strike, where the world's best-selling planes, including the Boeing 737, and the 777, 767, and several military programmes are conducted.
In its latest offer, Boeing's management proposed a 35% wage increase over four years, but without reinstating the pension plan abolished in 2008. Most union members (64%) voted against this proposal on Wednesday.
Protesters want more
The protesters are demanding a 40% wage increase to compensate for the losses resulting from years of ongoing inflation. They point out that living costs in the state of Washington are among the highest in the USA. The company's headquarters is located in Seattle.
On Wednesday, Boeing published its financial results for the third quarter of this year, recording the largest loss in nearly four years, amounting to approximately £5 billion.
According to the company, this is due to recurring aviation incidents involving its aircraft. The previous largest quarterly loss, in the fourth quarter of 2020, was around £6.82 billion.
According to AFP's calculations, Boeing's net losses have exceeded a total of approximately £25 billion since the beginning of 2020.
