Boeing Co. employees who work on the C-17 ratified a new three-year collective bargaining contract with the company on Thursday, union representatives said, the Long Beach Press-Telegram reports.
Workers voted for a contract workers that will last through 2010, averting a possible strike.
Votes were fairly close, said Gil Loya, bargaining committee chairman of the United Aerospace Workers Local 148.
Though he said official numbers weren’t available late Thursday evening, Boeing spokesman Rick Sanford reported the votes were to 850 to 699.
“By voting to ratify, our C-17 employees, who are represented by UAW Local 148, have a new contract that rewards them for their continued outstanding work on the program, and also positions our Long Beach site to be competitive for new work in the future,” Sanford said. “The new contract clearly benefits us all and positions Boeing for what we hope is a long run here in Long Beach.”
