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Harris takes a beat to congratulate Boeing union for approving a new contract

Vice President Harris arrives at Dane County Regional Airport on Nov. 1, in Madison, Wis.
Andrew Harnik
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Getty Images
Vice President Harris arrives at Dane County Regional Airport on Nov. 1, in Madison, Wis.

On the eve of the election, major news broke out on Monday night from the Pacific Northwest: Boeing's largest union voted to approve a contract offer after more than seven week of striking. The vote was approved by 59% of some 33,000 union members, most of whom are machinists. The deal brought a 38% wage increase — a significant boost from Boeing's earlier offer of a 25% raise.

On Tuesday, Vice President Harris congratulated the Boeing and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) district 751.

"This agreement represents a positive step for Boeing’s future as a leader in the aerospace industry," she said in a statement. "As I always say: collective bargaining works."

The IAM more broadly, representing some 600,000 workers in aerospace, airline, transportation and defense labor, has endorsed Harris for president. It is one of several notable unions have backed the vice president, who has vowed to strengthen unions. That includes the United Auto Workers and the American Federation of Teachers. Meanwhile, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters chose to not endorse a presidential candidate this election.

Copyright 2024 NPR

Juliana Kim
Juliana Kim is a weekend reporter for Digital News, where she adds context to the news of the day and brings her enterprise skills to NPR's signature journalism.