When union negotiators say the two sides were miles apart, they are correct, said Alan Mulally, chief executive of Boeings aircraft division, in a statement to company managers.
On September 1, some 86 percent of workers voted to strike, rejecting Boeings final offer.
Theyre sticking it to the young people, to workers just starting out, said Al Noble, a 64-year-old production worker. I absolutely wont go along with that.
The aerospace giant wants to end retirement health benefits for new hires. The union is pushing for a substantial increase in pension payments and protection of health-care benefits.
Workers say they are more confident to fight because Boeings profits tripled last year compared to 2002, when the union accepted concessions.
Several Northwest Airlines mechanics on strike here are regularly visiting the Boeing picket lines. Boeing workers have also extended the hand of solidarity, joining pickets outside Northwests airport hanger. Boeing engineers, members of the Society of Professional Engineering Employees, are walking the picket lines on their lunch hours and after work.
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Strikers resist Northwest offer of deeper concessions
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