Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray and Reps. Adam Smith and Rick Larsen called on the two sides to “expeditiously work out a fair and durable deal that recognizes the importance of the machinist workforce to Boeing’s future.”
Negotiations broke down earlier this month, and a spokesperson for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) told The Hill on Wednesday that no dates have been set for the two sides to return to the negotiating table.
Members overwhelmingly rejected a tentative agreement that had included a 25 percent wage increase over the next four years and demanded the reinstatement of pensions.
The strike, IAM’s first since 2008, has already cost Boeing and workers $5 billion, according to the latest analysis by Anderson Economic Group. Boeing announced last Friday that it would be laying off 10 percent of its workforce, or around 17,000 employees, in the coming months and delay delivery of its 777X planes until 2026.
Acting Labor Secretary met separately with IAM 751 and Boeing leadership Monday to urge both sides to continue the bargaining process. Cantwell and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who represents Seattle, visited the picket line Tuesday.
A Boeing spokesperson told The Hill that the company remains “committed to finding a resolution to end the strike.”
The Hill’s Taylor Giorno has more here.
