Boeing Co. Chief Executive Officer Kelly Ortberg’s quest to stabilize the struggling US planemaker suffered a stinging setback after factory workers rejected a new labor contract that would have increased their wages by 35% over four years.
Some 64% of the union members who cast ballots on Wednesday voted against the tentative agreement, according to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers district representing the 33,000 striking workers.
While the opposition this time was smaller than the overwhelming 94% vote to reject the company’s initial offer in September, the result is a setback to Boeing’s efforts to get ...