Contract offers 38 pay raise over four years
Union leader endorses deal after two previous no votes
Voting closes at 7 p.m. PT 0300 GMT
Strike has halted jet production, hammered Boeing finances
SEATTLE, Nov 4 Reuters Boeing U.S. West Coast factory workers are voting on an improved contract offer on Monday that could end a sevenweek strike and restart jet production at the troubled planemaker.
Boeing39;s latest offer includes a 38 wage increase spread over four years, up from a 35 raise in a proposal that was rejected by around twothirds of the 33,000 striking machinists in a vote 12 days ago.
Boeing39;s fourth offer since a strike started on Sept. 13 comes at a critical moment for the company, which last week announced a 24billion share issue to shore up its finances after the strike halted production of its cashcow 737 MAX jet.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said on Sunday that workers can return to their shifts as early as Wednesday if the offer passes, or as late as Nov. 12.
It is not clear how long it will take Boeing to get back to prestrike production levels, although the strike is widely expected to delay to 2025 a yearend rate target of 38 jets per month.
While Boeing is not regularly disclosing monthly MAX production figures, CFO Brian West has previously said monthly output went from high single digits at the end of the first quarter to roughly 25 in June and July.
The 38 wage increase could add about 1.1 billion…