Mechanics employed by Boeing have voted to return to work, thus ending a 57-day strike during which the facilities of the American aircraft manufacturer were idle, potentially further delaying the delivery of the new Dreamliner passenger aircraft.
Members of the IAM union ratified a new four-year collective agreement with 74 percent of the votes, the union announced. Workers will return to work as early as Sunday evening and will begin with the night shift. Other shifts will join on Monday. The agreement reached between the company management and union representatives, with the mediation of federal authorities, concerns job security, wages, social rights, and cooperation with subcontractors.
Due to the strike, Boeing managed to deliver only 84 aircraft in this quarter, while it delivered 115 in the first quarter and 125 in the second. The union announced that the company was losing $100 million in revenue every day due to the strike.
Boeing warned that the continuation of the strike could further delay the test flight of the new 787 Dreamliner aircraft, in which the company has high hopes. This program is already nearly two years behind the initial delivery schedule due to ongoing issues within the company. Thus, customers who have ordered nearly 900 new aircraft could seek compensation from Boeing for the delays. (Hina)
