Boeing announced on Tuesday that it was suspending negotiations with its main union and withdrawing its offer. The decision followed accusations by the union that the aircraft giant was inflexible in improving it. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), representing about 33,000 ones, had already called a strike on September 13 after 95% of its members rejected the company's latest five-year contract proposal.

Stephanie Pope, president of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, commented on the strike's severe impact on the company, customers and the community, citing three rounds of negotiations during which, according to her, "there were good faith negotiations, with improved offers for wages and pensions". However, she highlighted the union's hardening on demands that the company considers non-negotiable, deeming the path of further discussions impracticable at this time and consequently withdrawing the offer.

For their part, unionists argue that the 30% wage increase over four years proposed by Boeing two weeks ago is insufficient, given that workers had already rejected a previous proposal of 25% and had requested a 40% increase for the period of the new contract. They point out that Boeing workers' wages have been frozen several times in the last decade, leading some media sources to point out that in some cases assemblers earn less than food service workers.

The union’s last significant strike was in 2008, which lasted 57 days and cost the company an estimated $2 billion. Pope closes by emphasizing Boeing’s desire to continue to seek a solution that values employees and supports future corporate sustainability.