SPOKANE, Wash. — Striking Boeing machinists returned to the picket line on Thursday after 64% voted to reject the aerospace company’s latest contract offer.
The contract would have offered an almost 40% wage increase over four years, enhanced 401k benefits, a $7,000 signing bonus and other benefits, but no pensions.
Friday marked the beginning of the sixth week since the 33,000 Boeing machinists in the IAM751 union voted overwhelming to go on strike on Sept. 13.
The strike is having effects across the aerospace industry, with companies like Spirit AeroSystems considering furloughs or layoffs.
This week, Boeing announced it had lost about $6 billion in its third quarter and earlier this month it said it would cut 10% of its workforce, about 17,000 employees.
