Boeing workers went on strike with overwhelming support. The union rejected a tentative deal between union representatives and the aircraft manufacturer that included a 25 percent wage increase.
More than 30,000 workers in Seattle and Portland put down their tools starting at midnight Pacific Time (7 a.m. GMT) on Friday.
The strike is another setback for the company, which is already suffering mounting financial losses.
The airline is struggling to rebuild its reputation after a series of safety problems, including two fatal crashes.
This strike is expected to be a major blow to Boeing. New CEO Kelly OrtbergHe was appointed last month with the mission to revive the company.
About 95 percent of union members who build aircraft such as the 737 Max and 777 voted to reject wage negotiations.
Ninety-six percent of those who voted said they would go on strike until a new deal was reached.
“Our members spoke loud and clear tonight,” said John Holden, president of Local 751 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
“We go on strike at midnight.”
“We have made it clear to IAM leadership that the tentative agreement we reached with IAM is unacceptable to our members,” Boeing said in a statement.
“We are committed to reestablishing our relationship with our employees and the union, and we stand ready to return to the negotiating table to reach a new agreement.”
The strike was a major blow to Boeing and an embarrassment to Mr. Ortberg. The final appeal Before the vote, he warned workers that going on strike would “put the company’s recovery at risk.”
Now the question is how long it will last. Boeing appears ready to return to the negotiating table.
But there is a clear breakdown of trust between management and labor, and between labor and union leaders. Union leaders say this is the best contract they have ever negotiated. He urged members to accept the deal..
The preliminary agreement rejected by workers included a 25 percent pay raise over four years, as well as a commitment by Boeing to build its next commercial airplane in the Seattle area if the project starts within the contract term.
The union initially aimed for several improvements to worker welfare policies, including a 40 percent wage increase.
On the surface, it seems unlikely that a quick solution will be found unless Boeing surrenders.
Analysts say a prolonged shutdown could cost the company and its suppliers billions of dollars.
The current contract between Boeing and the union was signed in 2008 after an eight-week strike.
The strikes were costing the company about $1.5 billion (£1.14 billion) a month, according to ratings agency Moody’s.
In 2014, the two sides agreed to extend the deal, but the deal expired at midnight on Thursday.
“It’s never a good time to have a strike, at least from a management perspective,” said Greg Waldron, Asia editor of aviation news website FlightGlobal. “The current climate makes a strike more problematic.”
“However, a lot will depend on how long the strike lasts. The CEOs of airlines that ordered the 737 Max will be watching it closely,” Waldron added.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to fraud and pay nearly $244 million in criminal fines in connection with the fatal crashes of two 737 Max planes five years ago.
Alaska Airlines also faces other lawsuits and investigations after a door plug on a newer plane it operates exploded mid-air in January.
In addition to mounting financial losses, the planemaker has had to slow its assembly lines after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed production limits on the 737 Max.
