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Gone quiet · last update Nov 16, 2024 / Boeing

The 2024 strike by Boeing's machinists

Overview · reviewed October 28, 2026

About 33,000 Boeing machinists on the West Coast went on strike in September 2024, halting production of most of the company's passenger planes for nearly two months.[1][2][3] They rejected a tentative deal and later offers before approving a contract in November.[4][2] The strike cost Boeing billions, and the company announced plans to cut 10% of its workforce.[5]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

They rejected a tentative deal and later offers before approving a contract in November.[4][2] The strike cost Boeing billions, and the company announced plans to cut 10% of its workforce.[5]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · monthly average of weekly shares (UTC)

Sep 2024: average weekly share 13% (left 4%, center 7%, right 2%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2024: average weekly share 14% (left 4%, center 8%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2024: average weekly share 9% (left 2%, center 5%, right 2%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2024: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksSep 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksOct 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksDec 2025: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJan 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksFeb 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMar 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksApr 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksMay 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksJun 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksJul 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksAug 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 5 of 5 weeksSep 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksOct 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 4 of 4 weeksNov 2026: average weekly share 0% (left 0%, center 0%, right 0%), from 2 of 2 weeks, so far

LeftCenterRight

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. Over more than two years each bar is a month: the average of that month's weekly shares, so the shape stays readable. The weekly table below keeps every week. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 3 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (11 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 18, 202437414 of 2256%
Nov 11, 202419515 of 2117%
Nov 4, 202414241149 of 22322%
Oct 28, 202447213 of 1967%
Oct 21, 20241327646 of 19923%
Oct 14, 2024513321 of 19511%
Oct 7, 2024915832 of 20516%
Sep 23, 2024918431 of 21414%
Sep 16, 2024819532 of 20915%
Sep 9, 20241830957 of 23025%
Sep 2, 2024513422 of 21210%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 15, 2024 · first reported · Headline from The Columbian

    Boeing layoffs so far total nearly 2,200 workers in Washington state

Background

Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers reached a tentative deal in early September,[4] but members voted to strike,[1] and the walkout began that week.[6] Boeing froze hiring and furloughed executives and other nonunion workers to save cash,[6][7] and made what it called its "best and final" offer, which the union did not accept.[8] In October Boeing withdrew an offer of 30% raises over four years after talks broke down,[9] announced 10% job cuts[10] and said it might raise up to $25 billion,[11] while its supplier Spirit AeroSystems furloughed about 700 workers.[12]

A new tentative agreement was reached on October 19,[13] but members voted it down,[14] and on November 4 they voted on an offer with slightly bigger raises,[15][2] ending the strike. Boeing said it would take several weeks to fully resume building planes,[3] and days later began sending layoff notices.[5][16] Boeing's wider troubles are followed in the arc on its 737 Max.

Supporting stories (16)
  1. Boeing factory workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer
  2. Boeing workers vote to accept contract, end more than 7-week strike
  3. Boeing says it will take several weeks to resume production of planes after the strike
  4. Boeing reaches deal with union to avoid strike
  5. Boeing issues layoff notices as aerospace giant cuts 17,000 jobs
  6. Boeing considers temporary layoffs to save cash during strike
  7. Boeing set to start large-scale furloughs due to machinists strike
  8. Boeing makes a ‘final offer’ to striking workers, but union says it’s not good enough
  9. Boeing withdraws contract offer after talks with striking workers break down
  10. Boeing to lay off roughly 10% of its workforce
  11. Boeing plans to raise up to $35B to shore up finances as strike continues
  12. Spirit AeroSystems to furlough 700 workers as Boeing machinist strike continues
  13. Boeing Reaches Tentative Union Deal—Would End Five-Week Strike
  14. Boeing workers reject contract, extend strike: union
  15. Boeing workers will vote on a new contract offer to end 7-week-old strike
  16. Boeing layoffs so far total nearly 2,200 workers in Washington state

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 19 recorded updates

November 2024

  1. Boeing layoffs so far total nearly 2,200 workers in Washington stateHeadline from ABC 17 Mid-Missouri · 19 outlets
  2. Boeing issues layoff notices as aerospace giant cuts 17,000 jobsHeadline from FOX Business · 5 outlets
  3. Boeing says it will take several weeks to resume production of planes after the strikeHeadline from 12News Now Beaumont · 4 outlets

October 2024

  1. Boeing workers will vote on a new contract offer to end 7-week-old strikeHeadline from The Boston Globe · 10 outlets
  2. Boeing workers vote to accept contract, end more than 7-week strikeHeadline from Washington Times · 52 outlets
  3. Boeing, in need of cash, looking to raise up to approximately $19 billion in stock offeringHeadline from The Columbian · 7 outlets
  4. Boeing workers reject contract, extend strike: unionHeadline from Digital Journal · 43 outlets
  5. Boeing posts a $6 billion loss as striking workers vote on a new contractHeadline from NPR · 14 outlets
  6. Boeing Reaches Tentative Union Deal—Would End Five-Week StrikeHeadline from Forbes · 14 outlets
  7. Spirit AeroSystems to furlough 700 workers as Boeing machinist strike continuesHeadline from NBC10 Philadelphia · 6 outlets
  8. Boeing plans to raise up to $35B to shore up finances as strike continuesHeadline from FOX Business · 7 outlets
  9. Boeing to lay off roughly 10% of its workforceHeadline from KTVZ Bend · 31 outlets
  10. Boeing withdraws contract offer after talks with striking workers break downHeadline from KEYT Santa Barbara · 13 outlets

September 2024

  1. Boeing makes a ‘final offer’ to striking workers, but union says it’s not good enoughHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 33 outlets
  2. Boeing freezes hiring in sweeping cost cuts as it grapples with factory worker strikeHeadline from NBC New York · 9 outlets
  3. Boeing considers temporary layoffs to save cash during strikeHeadline from Fortune · 9 outlets
  4. Boeing set to start large-scale furloughs due to machinists strikeHeadline from CBS News · 28 outlets
  5. Boeing factory workers go on strike after rejecting contract offerHeadline from Kokomo Tribune · 56 outlets
  6. Boeing reaches deal with union to avoid strikeHeadline from KVIA El Paso · 30 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →