EVERETT, Wash. — Boeing's largest union, more than 30,000 members strong, voted to reject a proposed labor contract and voted to strike.
Over 94% of the 33,000 members of Boeing's IAM District 751 Machinists Union voted to reject the contract. Then, 96% of members voted to strike.
The strike starts at midnight, Sept. 13.
Thousand of union members were preparing to strike earlier this week and showed up to the polling center Thursday.
"A lot of people trying to come in and make their voices heard," Mike Corsetti, a quality inspector and union steward, said. He told KING 5 that thousands have been coming by the Kasch Park voting site to cast their ballots.
Patrick Casey, a mechanic, said he's voting to strike because he wants Boeing to reinstate its pension. He's one of thousands of workers who have been rallying and marching all week during lunch breaks.
"I've got the speaker going because we've been doing rallies in the buildings at lunchtime and I got no voice left," he said. Corsetti said the deal Boeing is currently offering is a good start, but it's not enough.
"We have members still living in their cars at maxed-out pay because they cannot afford to live in this state and work at this company," Corsetti said. Months ago, the union demanded a 40% pay raise over the course of the contract. However, Boeing countered and is offering a 25% increase. Those numbers translate to about a 9% overall increase over the course of the contract.
"Boeing is portraying to the media that it's the greatest thing they've ever done and it's not," Paul Janousek, another Boeing employee, said. He told KING 5 he voted no to the contract and yes to strike.
A Boeing spokesperson sent KING 5 the following statement:
“The message was clear that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM leadership was not acceptable to the members. We remain committed to resetting our relationship with our employees and the union, and we are ready to get back to the table to reach a new agreement.”
Strike impact on local economy
Machinists say the strike will not only impact the workers and the company but will affect the entire region.
"We won't be going to the store much, out to eat as much. It's going to impact all the local businesses because we have to save our money to pay our bills and feed our families," one union member told KING 5.
Consumers may not feel the effect of this strike immediately, but if jet production and deliveries stop, they would all see impacts down the road.
"For every direct Boeing job, there are four indirect jobs. You know, people in restaurants, the janitors and custodians who clean up in Boeing," said aviation expert Scott Hamilton.
Machinists will only get financial help from their union after a third week of the strike, just $250 a week.
"Some of our members are not going to be well prepared, and they will need to lean on their communities, their neighbors, their friends, other members. Many of us will need to get jobs," said Nisan Binan, a union steward and Boeing employee.
Previous strikes
Boeing machinists have gone on strike seven other times. In 1995, a strike lasted 69 days.
The longest strike for the union was the first in 1948 when thousands of Boeing union members walked off the job for 20 weeks.
The shortest strike was 19 days back in 1965.
The most recent, in 2008, lasted 57 days and cost Boeing at least $2 billion in profits, according to analysts at the time.
What can Boeing employees expect during the strike?
They will not have access to any Boeing site and will have to remove all of their personal items and return all company keys and tools.
They also will not be paid or be eligible for any benefits. Then, if the strike lasts past the last day of the month, their health benefits will end.