27,000 Boeing Workers Begin The Most Disruptive Strike In A Decade

Seattle, WA (AHN) - Workers at Boeing Co. walked out on strike on Saturday after the union failed to reach a deal with the firm's officials in their last meeting.

With the walkout by the company's machinists, the production of aircraft at its United States plant crippled as well as delayed the manufacturing of the Deamliner, which is their new plane in the pipeline.

Boeing's almost 27,000 members walked off the job at 3:01 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time after two days of almost continuous talks failed to avoid the country's one of the most disruptive strikes in more than 10 years.

The workers have walked out for the second time since 2005.

The International Association of Machinists (IAM) and Aerospace Workers said around 25,000 members in the Seattle area and another 2,250 in Oregon and Kansas participated in the strike.

The members were not satisfied with the proposed pay raises, health-care costs and lack of guaranteed job security in the new accord.

"The absence of job security language was a key reason why members rejected the company's earlier offer and it is why Boeing is now facing the second major strike in three years," Tom Buffenbarger, IAM's international president, said in a statement.

"We've learned it's not enough to have a good-paying job if that job can disappear at any time."

The IAM is the country's biggest industrial trade unions, which represent more than 700,000 active and retired members in industries including airline, aerospace, manufacturing, railroad, woodworking and shipbuilding sectors.

If the latest strike continues after 15 days, the workers would start getting $150 a week during their time on strike, which is very less compared to the typical pay of $27 an hour or about $56,000 a year for every worker, excluding overtime and bonuses.

During the two days of around-the-clock talks, the firm had offered the union members a raise of 11 percent of the total current pay, which will be given to every worker over the period of three years.

Boeing officials also offered additional bonuses and pension improvements by paying $34,000 and further benefits during that time.

Around 80 percent of the workers voted against the company's final offer on Wednesday, while as many as 87 percent voted in favor of a strike.