More than 33,000 Boeing workers walked off the job on 13 September 2024, beginning the biggest strike at the US aircraft manufacturer in 16 years. Workers rejected a pay offer and demanded better wages, bringing production of the 737 MAX, 777, and 767 to a standstill.
What happened
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) voted overwhelmingly on 12 September to reject Boeing’s offer of a 25% pay rise over four years. With 94.6% voting against the deal and 96% voting to strike, production lines at Boeing’s plants in Everett and Renton, Washington, came to a halt the following morning.
The walkout stopped production of Boeing’s most commercially important jets. The 737 MAX — the aircraft used by many airlines around the world — stopped rolling off the assembly line entirely. Military programmes, including the KC-46 tanker and the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, were also halted.
Boeing was already under pressure. Earlier in 2024, a door plug blew out of an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9 in mid-flight, triggering investigations, fines, and a slowdown in production approvals from the FAA. The strike added further financial strain to a company still working to rebuild trust.
Why it matters
By early October, analysts estimated the strike had cost Boeing around $5 billion. Airlines waiting for new aircraft faced growing delays, and Boeing’s ability to recover financially was put at serious risk. For workers, the strike was the result of years of frustration. Many felt their pay had not kept up with the rising cost of living, even as Boeing reported large revenues in earlier years.
The strike was also the largest industrial action at Boeing since 2008, showing how much the relationship between management and workers had deteriorated.
What comes next
Boeing and the union returned to the negotiating table, but workers voted down a second contract offer on 24 October. The strike continued for seven weeks in total. On 4 November 2024, union members voted to accept a new four-year deal that included a 38% pay increase and a ratification bonus. Production of the 737 MAX gradually resumed, but Boeing faced a long road to clear its order backlog.
Key vocabulary:
- machinists – skilled workers who build, repair, or operate machines; here, the workers who assemble aircraft at Boeing’s factories
- walkout – when workers leave their jobs together as a form of protest; another word for a strike
- ratification bonus – a one-time payment given to workers when they vote to accept a new contract
- assembly line – a process in a factory where workers each add parts to a product until it is complete
- order backlog – the number of orders a company has received but has not yet completed or delivered
- deteriorated – become worse over time
CEFR Level B1-B2 / ICAO Level 4-5