Boeing factory workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer

Solomon Hammond, 33, left, and John Olson, 45, both toolmakers at Boeing’s factory in Renton, Wash., hold picket signs after union members voted overwhelmingly to reject a contract offer and go on strike Friday. Outside the Renton factory, people stood with signs reading, “Historic contract my ass” and “Have you seen the damn housing prices?” Car horns honked and a boom box played songs such as Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do.” The machinists make $75,608 per year on average, not counting overtime, and that would rise to $106,350 at the end of the four-year contract, according to Boeing. He told machinists Wednesday that “no one wins” in a walkout and that a strike would put Boeing’s recovery in jeopardy and raise more doubt about the company in the eyes of its airline customers. “Working together, I know that we can get back on track, but a strike would put our shared recovery in jeopardy, further eroding trust with our customers and hurting our ability to determine our future together.” The head of the union local, IAM District 751 President Jon Holden, said Ortberg was in a difficult position because machinists were bitter about stagnant wages and concessions they have made since 2008 on pensions and healthcare to prevent the company from moving jobs elsewhere.