Boeing machinists voted to approve a contract offer on Monday, closing the book on a bruising strike that lasted more than 53 days.
The agreement, which had the backing of the union’s leadership, was approved by 59% of members who voted.
“This is a victory,” said Jon Holden, the president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751, as he announced the results late Monday night at the union’s hall in Seattle. “We can hold our heads high. We all stood strong, and we achieved something that we hadn’t achieved the last 22 years.”
The deal will bring a 38% wage increase for the union’s 33,000 members — and a much-needed boost for a company that could desperately use one.