Boeing has been forced to halt the production of its bestselling passenger jets after factory workers went on strike for the first time in 16 years.
The company was scrambling to resume talks with workers who make the 737 Max and other models after about 30,000 union members who build passenger jets on the west coast of America voted to reject a deal that included a 25 per cent pay increase over four years. Workers have demanded a 40 per cent pay rise.
“This is about respect, this is about addressing the past and this is about fighting for our future,” said Jon Holden, who led the talks for Boeing’s largest union, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
Boeing builds the 737 Max