Union members at Boeing (BA.US) factory in Washington state voted overwhelmingly Wednesday night to authorize a strike, as they negotiate for their first full contract in 16 years, seeking a 40% pay raise.
More than 3,000 workers who make the Boeing 737 MAX and other jetliners gathered in T-Mobile Park in Seattle earlier Wednesday to cast their ballots, but they can’t strike before their contract expires on September 12.
The labor negotiations at Boeing come as the American aircraft maker is losing ground to Airbus (EADSY.US) and is also facing a crisis after an Alaska Airlines (ALK.US) 737 MAX jetliner lost a door in midair on January 5, and other issues.
Jon Holden, local president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which represents Boeing workers, said the company’s top executives were making decisions that were putting workers’ livelihoods at risk.
“Our jobs, our legacies, our reputations are all at stake,” Holden said in a statement.
When asked for comment on the vote, Boeing pointed to a statement issued earlier this week that said: “We still believe we can reach an agreement that balances employee needs with the commercial realities of the company.”
Though the vote was procedural, the union still made a big show of the event.
Holden said earlier in the day: “It certainly gives the negotiating committee the authority, certainly sends a strong signal.”
In recent weeks, North American unions have taken advantage of a tight labor market to win big contracts at the bargaining table, with pilots, auto workers and others getting big raises.
The IAM said the company’s financial and production challenges wouldn’t change workers’ readiness to strike if necessary.
Boeing has more than 66,000 employees in Washington state, where it lives and works on projects including the MAX, 767 and 777 widebody jetliners, the largest proportion of its global workforce.