Boeing battles to avoid strike

Boeing has secured a 48-hour moratorium to try to fend off a damaging strike by 27,000 assembly workers in Washington, Oregon and Kansas.  ┬á The employees, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, voted Wednesday to reject BoeingÔÇÖs latest pay and benefits package. ┬á┬á Boeing offered its workers an 11 percent pay deal over three years, increasing average pay and benefits by $34,000, but the offer was overwhelmingly rejected. With two thirds of votes required for a walkout, 87 percent of union members voted for strike action, but the union has agreed to postpone a strike for 48 hours at the request of Washington Governor Chris Gregoire and federal mediators.┬á┬á "We offered employees the best package of pay and benefits in the aerospace industry," said Doug Kight, Boeing vice president of Human Resources, in a statement. "We are disappointed with the vote on the contract offer."┬á┬á ÔÇ£After more than four months of negotiations, Boeing delivered a best and final contract offer to the IAM on August 28th,ÔÇØ Boeing said in a statement. ÔÇ£This final offer has leadership support across the enterprise. WeÔÇÖre recognizing employee contributions to the business while helping sustain the success that weÔÇÖve all worked so hard to achieve. The proposal, on average, would provide employees approximately $34,000 in additional wages and incentive payments during the three-year agreement.ÔÇØ┬á┬á But Mark Blondin, the union's chief negotiator, said the company would have to propose a significantly better offer to prevent a walkout. Jim Proulx, a Boeing spokesman, said company and union negotiators would meet together with a federal mediator at an undisclosed time and location Thursday. The deadline for a walkout is now 12:01 am Saturday, if agreement cannot be reached.┬á┬á A strike could mean further delays to Boeing's forthcoming 787 Dreamliner. The new mid-sized aircraftÔÇÖs maiden flight will take place later this year, about 15 months behind its original schedule. ┬á┬á BoeingÔÇÖs statement can be read here, and details of the companyÔÇÖs contract offer to the IAM are available here.  ┬á┬á┬á*┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *