In an October 23 vote, striking members of District 751 of the International Association of Machinists (IAM) rejected the aerospace giant’s latest contract offer by 64%. The union did not release figures on how many of its 33,000 members cast a ballot. The New York Times headline on the vote referred to the rejection as “resounding.”
This article details how Boeing concealed information on a critical flight-control system in its 737 Max plane. Ethiopian Airlines pilots had requested the information after the 2018 catastrophic crash of the same type of aircraft operated by Lion Air, an Indonesian airline. Soon after the Ethiopian Airlines’ request, a 737 Max operated by this carrier nose-dived after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, killing all 157 people on board. After a lengthy investigation, and facing criminal federal charges, Boeing reached a plea deal with the U.S. Justice Department to pay damages in order to avoid a public trial. Families of many of those killed in these crashes are now trying to block this deal and force the case to a trial.
SEATTLE, September 12, 2024 — Members of International Association of Machinists (IAM) District 751, representing over 33,000 workers, voted by a stunning margin today to reject a new contract proposed by the Boeing Company and endorsed by the union’s top officials. “About 94.6% voted to reject the contract and 96% voted to strike, more than the two-thirds majority required by union rules to authorize a walkout,” reported The Seattle Times. The strike began at 12:01 am on September 13