Boeing workers vote to strike if contract talks fail

SEATTLE — Thousands of Boeing hourly workers voted in Seattle, Washington State, to authorize a potential labor strike if current contract negotiations stumble, a union statement said on Wednesday.

The result was generally expected, but came on top of renewed scrutiny Boeing is facing after a series of troubles, including a January incident in which a fuselage door plug blew out during a flight.

"We want the company to take our proposals seriously and bargain earnestly," Jon Holden, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751, said.

The initial vote, which passed nearly unanimously, provides advance notice to the union so members receive strike benefits if they vote to strike on Sept 12.

This comes before union members see a proposed contract. A second vote would be required on Sept 12 to strike if members reject the contract.

The local unit represents more than 30,000 people working at Boeing plants in nearby Renton, where the planemaker's 737 is assembled, and also in Everett, where the 777 is put together.

A strike would freeze activity at both factories.

The two sides began talks in March on a new contract to replace an agreement that has been in place for 16 years. That contract expires at midnight on Sept 12.

Boeing said in a statement, "We remain confident we can reach a deal that balances the needs of our employees and the business realities we face as a company."

On Wednesday, Holden said workers are "fighting to change this company", warning it has put livelihoods at risk.

Holden has demanded a "substantial" salary hike of at least 40 percent, as well as provisions for healthcare, retirement and job security.

He called a hefty wage hike imperative after workers only received nominal cost-of-living support over the past eight years despite "massive inflation".

"We don't want to strike — but we're ready and willing to do so to bring home the best aerospace contract our members have ever seen," he said in a statement.

At a Senate hearing last month, Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said workers "will definitely get a raise".

Safety hearings

Regarding the January incident, the National Transportation Safety Board said on Wednesday it had scheduled two days of hearings on the Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 9 in-flight door plug emergency and would review oversight by US safety regulators.

The NTSB said on its website the Aug 6-7 hearings are set to last 10 hours each day and would focus on Boeing 737 MAX manufacturing and inspections, Federal Aviation Administration oversight of Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, and events surrounding the removal of the door plug last year. The hearing would also review safety management and quality management systems.

The FAA had grounded all MAX 9 airplanes for several weeks and required safety checks before they could resume flights.

Agencies Via Xinhua