SAN JOSE (California), Nov 5 (Bernama-dpa) -- A strike by tens of thousands of Boeing employees is ending after seven weeks as workers accepted an improved offer by the US aircraft manufacturer, including a 38 per cent pay rise over four years, the IAM trade union said on Monday, the German news agency (dpa) reported.
The trade union's members on Monday voted by 59 per cent "to accept the proposal and return to work," the trade union said. "Workers can return to work as early as Nov 6, 2024, for those members who want to return as quickly as possible."
IAM, which has about 33,000 members at Boeing, added that workers "must return to work" by November 12, adding that "the strike has ended".
A week ago, workers overwhelmingly voted down an offer of a 35 per cent pay raise over four years, with 94 per cent rejecting the proposal. In mid-September, they had already rejected the first offer by Boeing, which included a 25 per cent pay increase, by a majority of almost 95 per cent.
The new contract also includes a one-time payment of US$12,000. The union had already negotiated the retention of bonus payments, which were originally to be abolished, as part of the second offer.
The company has been beset by numerous issues with its aircraft and is facing major financial problems. The labour dispute has been adding further pressure.
Boeing workers accepted several pay freezes over the past decade and were seeking a significant increase. Boeing, with a workforce of roughly 170,000 employees, recently announced plans to cut 10 per cent of jobs.
The aircraft manufacturer is in crisis after a series of mishaps.
It has been under increased pressure to improve quality controls since an incident earlier this year, when an almost new Boeing 737-9 MAX operated by Alaska Airlines lost a door plug during ascent, leading to a gaping hole in the fuselage.
The plane returned to the airport. None of the more than 170 people on board were seriously injured in the incident.
-- BERNAMA-dpa
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