Boeing and its machinists’ union will resume contract negotiations on 7 October, as workers and the company feel increasing pressure from a strike now exceeding three weeks.
The aircraft manufacturer and International Association of Machinists (IAM), which represents some 33,000 Boeing workers, confirm their plans to pick up contract discussions next week.
The parties have not met in recent days and have been at odds over wage gains and retirement benefits.
“A resolution with the IAM stands as a priority for me, and our team is ready to resume mediated talks this Monday,” Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg said in a 4 October message to employees. “With no discussions scheduled over the past week, I was able to visit teammates at several additional sites across the business.”
Boeing declines to comment further.
IAM says talks scheduled for 7 October will be moderated by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. “This meeting is another critical opportunity to push for the priorities of our membership. We will continue to fight relentlessly for the issues that matter most to you,” IAM says.
Union members walked off the job three weeks ago, on 13 September, forcing Boeing to halt aircraft production and delivery activities, and other work, in the Pacific Northwest. Boeing’s 737 lines in Renton and 767 and 777 lines in Everett have stopped.
The standoff’s effects are already multiplying, with reports in recent days that Boeing has been considering selling stock to raise $10 billion.
The company ended June with cash and equivalents valued at $10.9 billion. Analysts have estimated Boeing needs about $10 billion to operate comfortably and that the strike is costing it $1.5-3.0 billion monthly.
Boeing has also started furloughing non-unionised workers, on a one-week-off, three-weeks-on schedule.
Striking IAM members, meanwhile, have gone three weeks without company pay and recently lost their employer-supplied health care.
IAM has reminded members they can keep the health plans active by paying the cost – $680-750 monthly – themselves, or purchase new health insurance policies separately. Some union members have also gotten other jobs, and IAM has been referring members to temporary-job advertisement boards.
The union’s strike website also refers members to banks where they may be able to receive loans, and to food banks and programmes that provide government assistance.
IAM entered the strike seeking 40% wage gains over four years. It has also sought reinstatement of a pension plan.
Before the strike started, Boeing had offered 25% wage gains. Union leaders approved that proposal but members voted it down by a wide margin.
Then on 23 September, the strike already underway, Boeing came up to 30%, only to be rebuffed by union leaders.
In recent messages to members, the union has said Boeing has remained “adamant” about not reinstating the pension plan.
