By Matt Sepic, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Union machinists at Boeing in St. Louis approved the company's latest contract offer on Sunday. The vote, though, was close: 951-883.
On average, workers will get a nearly 10% raise over the next three years. The agreement also preserves seniority rights for less experienced workers in the event of a layoff.
But Tom Pinski, a spokesman for the International Association of Machinists, says some jobs will be classified more broadly, and that did not sit well with many workers.
"We were able to have enough strings attached to that, so it will not have a negative effect on our current membership," Pinski said Sunday. "But ten or 15 years down the road, the way the company does business will probably be a little different."
The deal sets up five new job classifications. But Boeing spokesman Forrest Gossett says broader job descriptions are necessary to keep the company competitive.
"We need flexibility as we go forward meeting our customers' needs," Gossett said.
Workers will also have to pay slightly more for health care under the new plan.
The agreement also gives new retirees a boost in their pension payments. New employees will still be enrolled in the pension plan, and they'll also receive a 401K package.
The contract covers about 2,500 employees of Boeing's Integrated Defense Systems division.