Boeing factory workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer

Aircraft assembly workers have walked off the job at Boeing factories near Seattle and elsewhere after union members voted overwhelmingly to reject a tentative contract that would have increased wages by 25% over four years. The strike started at 12:01 a.m. PDT Friday, less than three hours after the local branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced 96% of voting workers rejected the proposed contract and 96% approved the work stoppage. The labor action involves 33,000 Boeing machinists, most of them in Washington state. It's expected to shut down production of Boeing’s best-selling airline planes but not affect commercial flights.