Boeing workers vote to end seven-week strike

International Association of Machinists votes to approve latest contract offer after rejecting two previous proposals.

Boeing workers in the United States have voted to accept the aircraft manufacturer’s latest contract offer, ending a seven-week strike that crippled production of the 737 Max and 777.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) said on Monday that its members voted by 59 percent to approve the deal.

Under the new contract, employees will benefit from a 38 percent pay rise over four years, a $12,000 signing bonus and higher employer contributions to their retirement plans.

But the deal does not restore a defined-benefit pension that Boeing froze in 2014, a key demand of some employees.

“This contract was different. We had massive leverage this time and our members really stood strong, our members took control, our members took ownership of this battle ahead,” IAM District 751 President Jon Holden told workers as he announced the results of the vote.

“I am so proud of this membership. This was a defining moment tonight.”

The vote, which comes after union members rejected Boeing’s two previous offers, means that some 33,000 employees in the Seattle area could began returning to work as early as Wednesday.

The strike added to Boeing’s woes during an especially difficult year.

The aircraft giant has racked up losses of nearly $8bn in 2024 so far and faced intense scrutiny of its safety record following an incident in which a Boeing 737-9 MAX jet operated by Alaska Airlines aircraft lost a door panel midflight.

Analysts had estimated that the strike, which halted production at its two main factories in the Seattle area, was costing Boeing about $100m in daily lost revenue.

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Al Jazeera and news agencies