Boeing strike grinds on as latest talks fail to reach agreement

WASHINGTON: The union for striking Boeing workers said Friday that talks with the aviation giant “broke off” without agreement, after some 33,000 US employees walked out this month.

Workers in the Pacific Northwest region walked off the job on September 13 after overwhelmingly voting down a contract offer, effectively shutting down assembly plants for the 737 MAX and 777.

“Talks broke off, and we have no further dates scheduled at this time. We remain open to talks with the company, either direct or mediated,” the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) said on its website.

Boeing said it was prepared to meet again with the union.

“We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our represented employees and negotiating in good faith, and want to reach an agreement as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement.

Boeing on Monday announced its “best and final offer” aimed at appeasing demands: lifting wages for striking workers by 30 per cent and reinstating an annual bonus.

An end-of-day Friday deadline was put in place for striking workers to sign off the deal, but the IAM said the proposal did not go far enough.

The union said in a Friday message that it had engaged in “frank discussions” with Boeing along with mediators of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS).

“While conversations were direct, we did not make progress on the pension issue. The company remains adamant that it will not unfreeze the defined benefit plan,” the IAM said, citing a key issue for some workers.

It added that the company “would not engage substantively” on other issues including higher pay, quicker wage progression and more paid time off.