The strike comes at a time when Boeing is under scrutiny for its quality control and safety issues in the aftermath of the Alaska Airlines in-flight panel blowout incident|Melvin Loi|CC BY-SA 2.0
More than 30,000 Boeing workers, including assembly line employees of the company’s largest union, walked off the job on Friday, rejecting an agreed-upon deal by the union leaders and the planemaker.
According to the agreement, Boeing was set to provide a 25% salary hike over four years and other benefits. However, workers said the cost of living far exceeded the increment.
The work stoppage would pause production of Boeing’s bestselling 737 planes and the 777 and 767 jets.
The strike comes as the aviation giant is under scrutiny for its quality control and safety issues following the Alaska Airlines in-flight panel blowout incident earlier this year.
Boeing employs around 150,000 people across the country and annually contributes $79 billion to the US economy. The last time its workers walked off their jobs was 16 years ago, in 2008.
The 57-day strike cost the company an estimated $100 million a day.
What’s next
Boeing says it is eager to enter the labor negotiations again. The union IAM pushed for a 40% pay hike.