Boeing machinists put off strike after government intervention
4/9/2008 17:33
Thousands of machinists who assemble jetliners in Boeing's factories in
Seattle yesterday voted to strike after rejecting the company's new contract
offer, but agreed to delay their actiona for two days after the intervention of
government officials.
About 25,000 members of the International Association
of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted overwhelmingly by 87 percent to go on
strike. The union's leadership, however, decided to wait another 48 hours to act
at the request of Washington Governor Chris Gregoire and a federal
mediator.
Boeing has agreed to return to the bargaining table after union
members voted by 80 percent to reject its contract offer in another vote, union
officials said.
The company now has 48 hours to reach a deal. Boeing earlier
said it would it would not change the offer even if there would be a
strike.
Boeing's contract offer would raise wages by an average of 11 percent
over three years and boost the pension multiplier by 14 percent for the workers.
But the union chose to stick to their demand for a general wage increase of at
13 percent and better pension benefits.
A strike by the machinists could
essentially shut down Boeing's assembly factories in Seattle and other areas,
thus resulting in further delays in deliveries of the company's new 787
Dreamliner jet.
Xinhua
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