30,000 Boeing workers are now on strike on Thursday, International Association of Machinists and aerospace workers at Boeing voted by 95% to reject *** new contract negotiated by union leadership and Boeing management. And by 96% to authorize *** strike. According to business insider, these workers represent about 20% of the company's employees. According to USA today, the proposed contract had included *** 25% wage increase over four years. Workers had demanded 40% as well as other benefits. The company was un to provide including an annual bonus. I am President John Holden told CNN last month that the dispute is really about what has happened to our members by the leadership of the company for close to 20 years. Here's Holden speaking on Thursday while there were many important things that were in this offer, it didn't make up, it didn't bridge the gap for 16 years from 2008 and going through two extensions and the threats of job loss, you know, stagnated wages, cost shift on health care and many other issues. Boeing has of course, recently been embroiled in scandals over safety concerns. Provisioner Natalie Anderson connected those issues to management's relationship with its employees. It just feels like they're trying to put *** little bit of pressure on us and that's just not the way you want to act towards your employees. If you really want us to work for you and build *** quality plane business insider quoted *** Boeing statement issued Friday saying we remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union and we are ready to get back to the table to reach *** new agreement.
Boeing strike has already cost the company and workers $5 billion, new analysis shows
Sunday marks one month since members of the International Association of Machinists began their strike against Boeing. The cost: nearly $5 billion, according to a new analysis by Anderson Economic Group, shared exclusively with CNN.That multi-billion-dollar tab highlights the difficulties facing the aircraft maker, once a byword for American quality. Instead, it has faced a string of bad news in recent years, from fatal crashes to increased regulatory scrutiny to the strike by 33,000 workers that started on September 13 that ground operations to a near halt.Boeing's workers and shareholders make up the bulk of the strike losses, at $3.7 billion, the new analysis shows. Not a single plane has been worked on at the company's production facility in Everett, Washington, since the IAM members walked off the job, triggering the first strike at the company in 16 years."Suppliers, Seattle-area businesses, and Boeing customers are paying part of the price," said Patrick Anderson, CEO of Anderson Economic Group. "Our week-by-week estimates now include significantly larger losses to other businesses in the Seattle area, as well as losses to customers that rely on Boeing's service and parts."Losses to Boeing's suppliers total $900 million in the first four weeks, while non-Boeing Seattle workers impacted by the strike have seen losses of $102 million. Boeing's customers — the airlines — are also feeling the financial pain, with $285 million in losses to Boeing customers worldwide."The costs to Boeing and its shareholders are growing as the company burns through its cash and may need to borrow or issue stock to keep its operations going through the strike and what may be a difficult recovery," said Anderson.Boeing announced on Friday it will be laying off 10% of its workforce — about 17,000 employees — over the next several months."Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together," Kelly Ortberg, CEO of Boeing, said Friday in an email to employees.Prior to Ortberg coming on as CEO in August, Boeing pleaded guilty to defrauding the FAA — after it failed to disclose a system upgrade to its 737 Max fleet which resulted in a design flaw — causing two 737 Max planes to crash, one each in 2018 and 2019. The plea deal with the Department of Justice resulted in fines to the company of nearly $1 billion. A judge is now reviewing the plea deal.Talks between Boeing and the striking IAM workers broke off last week after two days of federally mediated negotiating. "Unfortunately, the union did not seriously consider our proposals," Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing's commercial airplane division, said Monday evening in a memo to employees. Pope called the union's demands "non-negotiable."Despite the two sides being far apart on nearly every issue, John Holden, IAM president of District 751, told CNN on Thursday there is a "deal to be had.""I don't know what the end result's going to be, but there's a lot of things on the table," Holden told CNN. "There are negotiations to be had and there is an agreement to be made, and you better spend the time at the table to reach it in order to resolve it."Holden says he is very confident in the strength of the strike fund — money paid out to members every week they are on strike — to support members as long as it takes to reach a "reasonable" deal. But he understands the impact this will have on the economy."It'll impact the GDP for the year. It'll impact the aerospace supply chain and production going forward. The longer this goes, the harder it is to restart production and get up to speed," he said.
CNN —
Sunday marks one month since members of the International Association of Machinists began their strike against Boeing. The cost: nearly $5 billion, according to a new analysis by Anderson Economic Group, shared exclusively with CNN.
That multi-billion-dollar tab highlights the difficulties facing the aircraft maker, once a byword for American quality. Instead, it has faced a string of bad news in recent years, from fatal crashes to increased regulatory scrutiny to the strike by 33,000 workers that started on September 13 that ground operations to a near halt.
Boeing's workers and shareholders make up the bulk of the strike losses, at $3.7 billion, the new analysis shows. Not a single plane has been worked on at the company's production facility in Everett, Washington, since the IAM members walked off the job, triggering the first strike at the company in 16 years.
"Suppliers, Seattle-area businesses, and Boeing customers are paying part of the price," said Patrick Anderson, CEO of Anderson Economic Group. "Our week-by-week estimates now include significantly larger losses to other businesses in the Seattle area, as well as losses to customers that rely on Boeing's service and parts."
Losses to Boeing's suppliers total $900 million in the first four weeks, while non-Boeing Seattle workers impacted by the strike have seen losses of $102 million. Boeing's customers — the airlines — are also feeling the financial pain, with $285 million in losses to Boeing customers worldwide.
"The costs to Boeing and its shareholders are growing as the company burns through its cash and may need to borrow or issue stock to keep its operations going through the strike and what may be a difficult recovery," said Anderson.
Boeing announced on Friday it will be laying off 10% of its workforce — about 17,000 employees — over the next several months.
"Our business is in a difficult position, and it is hard to overstate the challenges we face together," Kelly Ortberg, CEO of Boeing, said Friday in an email to employees.
Prior to Ortberg coming on as CEO in August, Boeing pleaded guilty to defrauding the FAA — after it failed to disclose a system upgrade to its 737 Max fleet which resulted in a design flaw — causing two 737 Max planes to crash, one each in 2018 and 2019. The plea deal with the Department of Justice resulted in fines to the company of nearly $1 billion. A judge is now reviewing the plea deal.
Talks between Boeing and the striking IAM workers broke off last week after two days of federally mediated negotiating. "Unfortunately, the union did not seriously consider our proposals," Stephanie Pope, president and CEO of Boeing's commercial airplane division, said Monday evening in a memo to employees. Pope called the union's demands "non-negotiable."
Despite the two sides being far apart on nearly every issue, John Holden, IAM president of District 751, told CNN on Thursday there is a "deal to be had."
"I don't know what the end result's going to be, but there's a lot of things on the table," Holden told CNN. "There are negotiations to be had and there is an agreement to be made, and you better spend the time at the table to reach it in order to resolve it."
Holden says he is very confident in the strength of the strike fund — money paid out to members every week they are on strike — to support members as long as it takes to reach a "reasonable" deal. But he understands the impact this will have on the economy.
"It'll impact the GDP for the year. It'll impact the aerospace supply chain and production going forward. The longer this goes, the harder it is to restart production and get up to speed," he said.