Some Boeing machinists are preparing to strike over the proposed labor contract as early as Friday

EVERETT, Wash. – Thousands of Boeing employees in IAM District 751 are not happy with a new contract proposal from the company.

Polls open for union members at 5 a.m. Thursday. If a strike is approved, it could begin as early as midnight Friday.

“Some are prepared for a very long strike,” added one of the machinists.

Some union members are already preparing for the possibility that 33,000 Boeing workers at the plant could walk out.

“Disgust,” was how one machinist who asked to remain anonymous expressed it. She and another machinist KING 5 spoke to did not want to be named for fear of retaliation.

“This was a huge insult, this is one of the worst contracts I've ever seen, yes, a slap in the face for us,” she told KING 5. The other engineer told KING 5 that the proposal was nowhere near what they wanted.

“Given the fine print and the results that came out of it, it fell well short of what anyone was hoping for or expecting,” he said. The two said one of the biggest points of contention was pay. Boeing is offering a 25% raise, but at the same time is eliminating the annual bonus that employees currently receive.

“This takes 16 percent of total wages out of the 25 percent offered, leaving members with 9 percent for a four-year contract, and that's really what it's all about,” he said. In response, union members marched and demonstrated at the Everett plant during their breaks.

“We need to be paid what we're worth,” the machinist said. KING 5 compared the union's original demands with the content of the proposal.

Only one requirement was fully met, namely the commitment to build the next aircraft in Puget Sound.

“This contract is for four years and we have the strong impression that this company has no intention of launching or starting a new aircraft program in four years. So it is an empty promise,” said the engineer.

Stephanie Pope, Boeing's COO and executive vice president, said in an email to Boeing union members: “This is the best contract we have ever presented.”

Pope noted that the contract includes a total 25% wage increase, up to 33%, as well as a multigenerational work commitment for machinists. She also pointed to “a new, automatic contribution of up to $4,160 per year to an employee's IAM 401(k) account.”

“We have not held back on a second vote,” she said. “We do not want a strike because a work stoppage would hurt all of us, our customers, our suppliers and our community.”

According to aviation expert Scott Hamilton, a strike could have serious implications for Boeing as a company and the aviation industry as a whole.

“If there is a strike, all shipments from Washington state will be stopped,” Hamilton said.

The severity of the impact depends on how long a possible strike lasts, he explained.

“The IAM strike in 2008 lasted 57 days,” Hamilton said. “In Boeing's current situation and weakened financial position, that would be very, very damaging.”

A longer strike could even cause Boeing to lose the battle against its biggest competitor, Airbus.

“Boeing is in a pretty precarious position right now,” Hamilton said.

Their fate will be announced to Boeing and its employees when polls close at 6 p.m. on Thursday.

The contract will require a majority vote, but a strike can only be authorized if two-thirds of union members agree to a strike. If a two-thirds majority is not reached, the union says the contract is accepted by default.