The vote is closed as Boeing machinists decide whether to continue the strike

After more than five weeks on strike, Boeing's unionized machinist workers went to the ballot box Wednesday.

The vote — the first since workers walked out Sept. 13 — will determine whether 33,000 union members will return to work at Boeing factories in Everett, Renton and elsewhere, or stay on picket lines in hopes of securing a contract that covers more. their demands.

From 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, union members cast their votes to accept or reject a deal unveiled Saturday. A simple majority of those who voted – 50% plus one – would determine the result.

Workers who spoke to The Seattle Times throughout the day were divided. Some Yes voters said the latest proposal made “significant improvements” and was enough to get them back to work. Others said they could no longer stand on the picket line.

On the other hand, workers who opposed the deal encouraged fellow union members to continue fighting until the company met more of their demands, particularly that the company restore pension plans.

As a machinist entered Union Hall to cast his ballot in Renton, he yelled, “Just say no!” Another replied, “Think of future generations!” In Everett, a group opposed to the latest offer handed out flyers telling union members “Vote No, Go on Strike!” One activist held a megaphone that blared a continuous siren to “attract attention” to his no-vote.

The atmosphere was more serious this voting day than the previous day, when machinists overwhelmingly voted against the contract proposal and authorized a strike to begin Sept. 13, said Luis Arteaga, a Boeing sealer and machinist voting volunteer in Renton.

“This one counts,” he said. “It's real.”

Arteaga — like several machinists who spoke to The Seattle Times in Renton on Wednesday — would not say how he planned to vote.

The latest proposal comes days after mediated talks led by acting US Labor Secretary Julie Sue. That includes a 35% general wage increase over the course of the four-year contract, an increase from Boeing's previous offers but still shy of an increase that some machinists would like to see. It will increase company contributions to a 401(k) retirement plan, guarantee a 4% annual bonus and tack on a one-time $7,000 bonus if approved.

Nine polling locations across the Pacific Northwest — stretching from Auburn to Moses Lake to Portland — and California close at 5 p.m., though people in line can still cast their ballots after the deadline.

The results will be announced Wednesday night at Machinist headquarters in South Park, just south of Seattle. Union leadership did not make any recommendations for how members should vote but described the members' proposal as “worthy of your consideration.”

“The only thing 'worth your consideration' is how quickly to trash it,” anti-offer, pro-strike leaflets circulated outside an Everett polling place on Wednesday told members.

Diana Truong, who has been at Boeing for 25 years, said she's heard people say how good the proposed deal is — without the pension. He voted to approve the deal but added that he understood why others would vote no. He cited the economy and the threat of job losses as a reason for voting yes.

“Look at the economy,” he said. “It's really bad now. You're lucky you have a job.”

Still, he said, he expected the union to reject the deal based on what he had heard from other machinists. He is retiring soon and will not have to find another job during the strike.

In Everett, where union members voted at the Angels of the Wind Arena, those who supported the contract asked to remain anonymous when speaking to The Seattle Times.

“I voted to accept it but probably won't be honest about it with all my colleagues,” said one voter, as he read a “Vote No” leaflet as he walked toward the Everett Arena.

He had been at Boeing for about three years and only received notice of a promotion when he went on strike.

He described himself as “totally stuck in the middle” when it came to deciding how to vote. He supported those who wanted to remain on strike in the hope of recovering pensions, but with four children under the age of 4, his financial situation overshadowed everything.

Another Everett-based worker who asked not to be named and voted yes said he approved the deal because it was “significantly better” than the previous two offers.

Both workers said they were worried the company would go bankrupt if the strike lasted too long, leaving them without jobs.

A third worker who asked to remain anonymous and voted yes said: “It's not so much that I like the deal. They're just going to drive Boeing out of Washington.”

That worker, 39, was at Boeing when the machinists union voted to end pensions. He voted against ending the pension and “was ready to fight for it then,” the activist said. “Now it's gone, they're not going to get it back. … If they want to fight so hard for pensions, they should have done it in 2014.”

Vicki Mahan, 63, a 17-year Boeing veteran, is one of those people who continues to fight for a pension. He was “in tears” and in disbelief when he learned his pension had been cancelled.

Now, he knows the fight to conquer it is “going to be a tough one, but if we all work together,” he thinks it can be done.

Mahan said he didn't plan to stay outside Everett Arena Wednesday morning, but after the vote he said he decided to spend more time talking to his colleagues, holding a sign that read “No pension, no plane” because “Maybe I can swing it.”

Kevin Flynn, Thomas Gilbreth and Pat Flint, who all work on the flight line in Everett, had picket line signs with “Vote Number” stamped in black block letters.

All three said they believed Boeing could offer a higher wage increase, especially in the first year of the contract.

“In light of the fact that we haven't had a whole lot in the last 10-plus years … this new one is only going to cover the inflation that we've experienced,” Flynn said.

“They have to front-load it … to try to bring us back from the past,” Gilbreth said.

He is feeling the financial strain of being on strike for almost six weeks but is determined to stay. He helps look after his grandchildren, even driving them around when he works the third shift at Boeing. Now, without a paycheck, she has to spare for the grandchildren. “I pushed a lot harder,” Gilbreth said.

Flynn had hoped that new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg would have done more before the strike began and dragged it out for so long now.

“I was hoping the new CEO would say, 'Hey we're not going to be cheaper than these guys,'” Flynn said. “In the big picture, we're not asking for an impossible number.”

To explain why they voted the way they did, voters from both parties cited concerns for new employees and the next generation.

Those who voted to approve the deal said they were worried about young recruits struggling financially during the strike, while those who voted to reject it said they wanted better terms for these employees in the deal.

“I hope the kids don't fall for it again,” said Kelly Day, who was hired in 1996 and assembled the plane, referring to past contract votes.

Day brought in previous Boeing leaders and their earnings, such as former CEO Dave Calhoun, who resigned earlier this year and received $23.6 million in compensation in 2023.

“Where is the justice for us?” she said

Both sides of the aisle were adamant that they had support, even if one was not as vocal as the other when it came to Yes voters.

Eugenio, an Everett activist who asked to be identified only by his first name, arrived at the polling station with a megaphone and a sombrero to draw attention to his vote number.

“I hope we can meet 100% of our demand,” he said. “I am ready to fight – even for a year. I am ready for anything.”

On the other hand, a 39-year-old Everett worker who asked to remain anonymous because he voted to ratify the contract and end the strike said, “I'm ready to be a scab.”