(Reuters) – Boeing said on Tuesday it has offered additional time and support to the union representing thousands of its striking workers in the U.S. West Coast to vote on its new labor offer, after an earlier Friday deadline was rejected.
“We’ve reached out to the union to give them more time and offer logistical support once they decide to vote,” the planemaker said in a statement.
On Monday, Boeing said it made a “best and final” pay offer to thousands of striking workers, but its largest union declined to put it to an immediate vote, saying the planemaker had refused to bargain over the proposal that fell short of members’ demands. The union also said it couldn’t organize a vote by Friday.
The U.S. planemaker offered to reinstate a performance bonus, improve retirement benefits and double a ratification bonus to $6,000 if the workers accept the offer by Friday, according to a letter sent to International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers officials by the company.
“This strike is affecting our team and our communities, and we believe our employees should have the opportunity to vote on our offer that makes significant improvements in wages and benefits,” Boeing said in the statement.
(Reporting by Utkarsh Shetti in Bengaluru and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Chizu Nomiyama)
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