RENTON, Wash. — Boeing and the machinists union are to meet with federal mediators on Friday for the first time since Sept. 18.
Most recently, the company issued a "final offer" to the union which did not go through IAM District 751 negotiators. Instead, Boeing released the offer straight to members and told machinists the offer was contingent on ratification by Sept. 27 – a deadline that was later rescinded.
The offer outraged union members and representatives, who accused Boeing of sidestepping the negotiating process and attempting to drive a wedge between members. Negotiators later released a statement saying they would not vote on the contract due to both the logistical challenges of organizing a vote on that timeline and Boeing's refusal to negotiate on the contract proposal.
The union released an update Thursday morning confirming that they will be meeting with Boeing and Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services to continue mediated negotiations on a contract. The negotiating committee said they planned to bring forward several issues that are critical to address in meeting the needs of machinists in this next contract.
The union previously stated that their goals included a 40% wage increase over the length of the contract, reinstatement of a pension program and better healthcare options. The company's latest offer included a 30% wage increase and increased contributions to both union and company 401k plans - however, it did not include bringing back the pension plan.
The strike has been ongoing for nearly two weeks and has already cost the company over half a billion dollars. The over 33,000 machinists on strike work on some of Boeing's most profitable plane models, including the 737 Max. The company has taken to implementing some cost-cutting measures in the meantime to put itself in the best position possible to recover once the strike ends - including temporary furloughs of tens of thousands of workers.