Boeing workers will strike after they were overwhelmed rejected a tentative deal between union representatives and the aircraft manufacturer that included a 25 percent pay increase.
More than 30,000 workers – who make planes including the 737 Max and 777 in the Seattle and Portland areas – will stop working from midnight Pacific time (0700 GMT) on Friday.
The strike is another setback for the company, which is facing mounting financial losses as it tries to repair its reputation after a series of safety problems, including two fatal accidents.
This is also a heavy blow to Boeing. new CEO Kelly Ortbergwho was appointed last month with a mission to turn the business around.
Nearly 95% of union members who took part in the vote rejected the pay deal, while 96% supported strike action.
“Our members spoke loud and clear tonight,” said Jon Holden, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 751.
“We went on strike at midnight,” he added.
Boeing did not immediately respond to BBC News’ request for comment.
Earlier this week, Union representatives advise members to support the interim agreement.
In addition to a 25 percent pay raise over four years, the tentative deal that workers rejected included a commitment from Boeing to build its next commercial plane in the Seattle area if the project starts within the contract term.
The union initially sought some improvements to the workers’ benefits package, including a 40 percent pay increase.
Mr. Ortberg has made a last plea to workers ahead of the vote, warning that the strike would put the company’s “recovery at risk”.
The current contract between Boeing and the unions was signed in 2008 after an eight-week strike.
In 2014, the two sides agreed to extend the deal, which was set to expire at midnight Thursday.
“There’s never a good time to strike, at least from a management perspective, and the current situation makes it even more difficult,” said Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of aviation news website FlightGlobal.
“However, it will be important to see how long the strike lasts. Executives with orders for the 737 Max will be watching this closely,” Waldon added.
In July, Boeing agreed to plead guilty to fraud and pay a criminal fine of nearly $244m (£190m) related to two fatal crashes of its 737 Max aircraft more than five years ago.
The airline is also facing other lawsuits and investigations following the explosion of a door stopper on a new Alaska Airlines plane in January.
In addition to suffering mounting financial losses, the aircraft maker has also had to slow down its assembly lines due to production limits on the 737 Max aircraft imposed by the US Federal Aviation Administration.
