Thirty-one thousand machinists’ union members at Boeing in Washington state on Jan. 3 approved by a slim margin a new contract in which the company guaranteed to base its production of a new model of airplane in the state in exchange for significant cuts to workers’ wages and retirement benefits.

The vote, 51 percent to 49 percent, came two months after workers had overwhelmingly rejected a similar proposal that included a $10,000 signing bonus.

The new agreement still replaces their pensions with 401(k)-style savings plans, although the company sweetened the deal by enhancing dental coverage and adding a second bonus for $5,000 that workers will receive in 2020.

The agreement was hastened by the company’s threats to move production of the 777X jet and more than 10,000 jobs out of state.

The contract fight also revealed a major rift within the machinists’ union. The national union, wanting to preserve union jobs, urged workers to approve the revised agreement. Local union leaders, intent on preserving hard-won gains, campaigned against it.

The Washington Post, Jan. 4
The New York Times, Jan. 1