(VitalNews.org) – Boeing has offered its staff a twenty-five percent pay increase over the course of four years in an attempt to avoid a strike that could potentially shut down the company’s assembly line.
Union leaders represent more than thirty thousand employees and have urged that the workers support the proposal as it’s said to be the best contract that they ever negotiated. If it’s approved, this would be a huge achievement for Boeing’s new chief executive, Kelly Ortberg. Since Ortberg took over, he’s been tasked to fix the company’s reputational issues and quality.
This week, Boeing workers are expected to vote on the deal. If rejected, they will need a second ballot to be approved by two-thirds of union members to continue the strike. Stephanie Pope, Boeing’s chief operating officer, said that this proposal was a “historic offer.”
There is a current contract between Boeing and the unions, which they reached in 2008, then it was renewed six years ago, but it’s set to expire soon. The preliminary deal didn’t match what the initial target pay was, which was a forty percent increase in pay.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said, “We can honestly say that this proposal is the best contract we’ve negotiated in our history.” The deal also offers workers improved healthcare and retirement benefits as well as twelve weeks of parental leave.
Said the negotiators, “Financially, the company finds itself in a tough position due to many self-inflicted missteps. It is IAM members who will bring this company back on track.”
Mr Ortberg was appointed as Boeing’s new chief executive as the company was facing criticism over some publicized events that gave Boeing a bad reputation. The company faced extreme financial losses and is continuing to repair its reputation following multiple incidents with their planes.
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