30,000 Boeing employees went on strike Friday after overwhelmingly rejecting a proposed new contract with the company. Veuer’s Matt Hoffman has the story.
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00:0030,000 Boeing workers are now on strike.
00:03On Thursday, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at Boeing
00:07voted by 95% to reject a new contract negotiated by union leadership and Boeing management,
00:12and by 96% to authorize a strike.
00:15According to Business Insider, these workers represent about 20% of the company's employees.
00:20According to USA Today, the proposed contract had included a 25% wage increase over four years.
00:26Workers had demanded 40%, as well as other benefits the company was unwilling to provide,
00:30including an annual bonus.
00:32IAM President John Holden told CNN last month that the dispute is
00:36really about what has happened to our members by the leadership of the company for close to 20 years.
00:40Here's Holden speaking on Thursday.
00:42While there were many important things that were in this offer,
00:46it didn't make up, it didn't bridge the gap for 16 years from 2008,
00:51and going through two extensions and the threats of job loss,
00:55you know, stagnated wages, cost shift on health care, and many other issues.
01:01Boeing has, of course, recently been embroiled in scandals over safety concerns.
01:05Provisioner Natalie Anderson connected those issues to management's relationship with its employees.
01:10It just feels like they're trying to put a little bit of pressure on us,
01:14and that's just not the way you want to act towards your employees,
01:17if you really want us to work for you and build a quality plane.
01:20Business Insider quoted a Boeing statement issued Friday, saying,
01:23We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union,
01:27and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.