Boeing faces first major strike in 16 years

Thousands of Boeing employees walked off the job on Friday (September 13) after rejecting the company's latest contract offer. This move could create a significant disruption as Boeing works to ramp up production following a safety crisis.

This strike, Boeing’s first in 16 years, is expected to bring a halt to operations in the Seattle area, where most of the company’s commercial planes are manufactured. This could further strain Boeing's already fragile supply chain.

Around 30,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), who build Boeing’s 737 MAX and other planes in Seattle and Portland, took part in a vote on their first full contract in 16 years. The workers turned down the offer, with a strong majority in favour of striking.

The union said that 96 per cent of its members voted in favour of the strike, easily surpassing the two-thirds threshold needed to approve a walkout. In addition, 95 per cent of those who voted rejected the company’s offer. IAM represents roughly one-fifth of Boeing's global workforce, which consists of over 170,000 employees