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Boeing Withdraws Pay Offer, Halts Talks as Strike Nears Fourth Week

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Boeing has withdrawn its latest pay offer to approximately 33,000 U.S. factory workers as a strike that has severely impacted production enters its fourth week. The aerospace giant announced that no further negotiations were planned with union representatives after the most recent talks, facilitated by federal mediators, broke down. The collapse has left both sides at an impasse, with little hope for a resolution in the near future.

Stephanie Pope, head of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, stated in a message to employees that the union had not taken the company’s proposals seriously and called the union’s demands “non-negotiable.” She added that further talks would be futile, prompting Boeing to withdraw its offer entirely. “Our team bargained in good faith and made new and improved proposals to try to reach a compromise, including increases in take-home pay and retirement,” Pope said. Boeing has also been focused on cash preservation efforts as the strike’s financial impact mounts.

The company is reportedly exploring options to raise billions of dollars through stock sales and equity-like securities as production halts at key facilities. These include factories responsible for producing the 737 MAX, 767, and 777 planes. Boeing, now on the verge of losing its investment-grade credit rating, has also introduced temporary furloughs for thousands of salaried employees.

The West Coast factory workers’ union is pushing for a 40% pay increase over the next four years, along with the reinstatement of a defined-benefit pension plan that was removed a decade ago. Last month, more than 90% of union members rejected an offer that included a 25% pay raise over four years. Boeing subsequently improved the offer to a 30% raise and the restoration of a performance bonus, which the company labeled as its “best and final” offer. However, a union survey found this was still insufficient.

In a statement, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union expressed frustration, accusing Boeing of being unwilling to negotiate. The union criticized the company for refusing to address key demands, such as wage increases, vacation and sick leave accrual, and reinstating the defined-benefit pension.

With both sides entrenched and Boeing focused on cash-saving measures, the strike continues with no resolution in sight.

 

Boeing’s Starliner Returns to Earth Uncrewed After Technical Issues Delay Astronauts’ Return

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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft landed safely in New Mexico late Friday, concluding a three-month uncrewed test mission marked by technical challenges. Originally intended as the spacecraft’s final test before NASA certification, the mission was disrupted when faulty thrusters led NASA to deem the Starliner unsafe for crew return. Astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the first crew to fly Starliner, remain on the International Space Station (ISS) and are expected to return on a SpaceX vehicle in early 2025. The spacecraft reentered Earth’s atmosphere and landed smoothly using parachutes and airbags. Despite the successful landing, the thruster failures have raised concerns about Boeing’s future in space, particularly in light of ongoing competition from SpaceX. Boeing is conducting further investigations into the cause of the failures, which have already cost the company $125 million, adding to $1.6 billion in cost overruns since 2016.