BERKELEY 鈥 最新杏吧原创-area Boeing workers approved the company鈥檚 latest contract offer on Wednesday, sparing the aerospace giant a strike at three regional facilities.
The vote ended a weekslong saga over the next three-year contract for Boeing鈥檚 2,500 local, unionized workers. Had the union voted down the contract on Wednesday, a strike would have begun within hours, at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday.
鈥淲e have delivered an equitable contract that will secure the future for the members, their families and future generations,鈥 the local union chapter president, Tom Boelling, said in a statement.
The workers, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837, make defense aircraft for Boeing at sites in 最新杏吧原创 County, St. Charles and Mascoutah. The products made there include the F-15, F-18, T-7A trainer and MQ-25 refueling drone.
People are also reading…
Negotiations began early last month, and union members rejected the company鈥檚 first contract offer in a vote on July 24. A strike was scheduled to begin on Aug. 1, but after an overnight bargaining session the company reached the new contract proposal.
The workers鈥 retirement benefits have been one of the main sticking points in negotiations. The second contract offer withdrew some of the changes to the retirement plan from the previous draft, and added an $8,000 lump-sum payment, which employees can choose to defer into their 401(k) plans.
A Boeing spokesman said in a statement Wednesday that the company is pleased with the outcome of the vote.
鈥淲e look forward to our future here in the 最新杏吧原创 area,鈥 the statement said.
Strikes at Boeing鈥檚 area sites have been uncommon. The most recent was in 1996, against McDonnell Douglas, a year before it merged with Boeing. Before that, workers went on strike in 1975.
