Boeing faces a potentially crippling strike in the Seattle region, depending on how 33,000 workers vote Thursday on a new contract that has angered many employees despite solid wage gains.

Led by new CEO Kelly Ortberg, the embattled aviation giant had hoped a 25 percent wage hike over four years and a commitment to invest in the Puget Sound region would avert a strike at a time when Boeing remains financially weak after myriad crises.

But while the preliminary contract won an endorsement from leaders of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 751, the response from much of the rank-and-file has been harsh.

Broadcast reports in the Seattle region have featured footage of line workers who hold daily rallies on the factory floor and call the wage hikes inadequate in light of inflation.

A Sunday posting on the IAM’s Facebook page announcing the deal was removed after drawing hundreds of comments, with many condemning the deal or calling for a strike.

A strike would shutter Boeing production assembly plants for the 737 MAX and 777, further delaying the company’s turnaround efforts.

Among the major points of contention, the wage hike falls short of the 40 percent IAM had sought, and the new deal fails to reinstate pensions.

IAM President Jon Holden told members what happens next is up to union members.

“We have achieved everything we could in bargaining, short of a strike,” Holden said in a message to workers.

“We recommended acceptance because we can’t guarantee we can achieve more in a strike,” Holden said. “But that is your decision to make and is a decision that we will protect and support, no matter what.”

Stephanie Pope, president of Boeing’s commercial plane division, said the contract delivers the largest-ever wage hike despite the company’s $60 billion in debt. The pledge to the Puget Sound region is an “unprecedented commitment” to the area.

In a statement Wednesday evening Ortberg warned against a strike, saying it would “put our shared recovery in jeopardy, further eroding trust with our customers and hurting our ability to determine our future together.”

The new contract is a “hard sell,” said aviation website Leeham News. “The deal makes progress in the areas IAM members identified as priorities, but falls short of the union’s stated goals in most of them.”

Leeham predicted the contract would fail to win a majority vote, but said it was unclear whether critics of the deal would win a two-thirds majority on a second question of whether to strike.

If the contract fails to win a majority but a strike vote also falls short, the contract offer is accepted by default, according to IAM rules.

In an interview with the Seattle Times published Monday, Holden said, “Right now, I think it will be voted down, and our members will vote to strike.”

Advantage: labor?

Boeing has been under renewed scrutiny since a January incident in which a fuselage panel blew out of an Alaska Airlines Boeing 737 MAX plane mid-flight, necessitating an emergency landing.

That revived questions about safety and quality control after the company had seemingly made progress following deadly MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.

The aerospace giant in March announced a management shakeup that included the exit of Dave Calhoun as CEO. It has also slowed production on the MAX as it beefs up quality control.

Ortberg, who took the helm on August 8, has pledged a “reset” on labor relations as part of a turnaround.

The IAM talks come on the heels of a more assertive labor movement as embodied by strikes at Detroit’s “Big Three” and John Deere, and a near-strike at UPS that was resolved with a last-minute deal with the Teamsters.

“The power balance has shifted in favor of workers,” said Cornell University labor relations expert Harry Katz, who noted that Boeing’s position has been weakened by “turmoil and management problems.”

Andrew Hedden, associate director of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies at the University of Washington, said strikes have become common at Boeing since 1970s.

Hedden said the company’s pledge for new investment, while encouraging, did not completely settle concerns about Boeing’s long-term footprint in Seattle because the contract is only four years long.

“There’s still work to do for the union and for the people in Washington state to make sure the company holds to that,” Hedden said.

© 2024 AFP

SEATTLE — Injuries are a difficult thing to try and navigate for any professional athlete. They’re a part of the game. But that doesn’t make it any easier.

Especially when one of those injuries is a season-ending one.

That’s been the case for Seattle Mariners reliever Matt Brash this season. The third-year pitcher has been out the entire year as he’s recovering from Tommy John surgery he underwent back in the beginning of May. Brash originally suffered elbow inflammation during spring training and hoped to make a comeback before undergoing surgery.

Brash rejoined the team for their current homestead. It’s the second homestead Brash has been with the team this season after spending most of his year rehabbing in Arizona.

The last time Brash was with the team, he wasn’t able to do a whole lot aside from warm-ups. He’s been able to throw in a limited capacity since Seattle returned home on Tuesday within the confines of what he’s allowed to do with his rehab program.

“It’s always nice to be here,” Brash said before Wednesday’s game against the San Diego Padres. “This is where I want to be, obviously. My rehab’s going good. So I’m excited to be back here with the guys. I’m throwing, playing catch this time. Last time it was just kind of going through the motions with my workouts. But it’s nice to feel kind of like a real player again and throw with the guys and all that, so I’m excited.”

Brash’s recovery was a huge change of pace for the 26 year-old hurler. He went from making 78 appearances in 2023 (48% of games) to not playing at all.

“That was probably the hardest part,” Brash said. “I threw a lot of games last year and I love doing that and being in the moment and coming to the field every day. Rehab gets a little repetitive and going through the motions. But, like I said, being here — this is where I want to be. It’s nice being here for the home stand and help the boys make that playoff push and cheer them on.”

Since Brash’s absence from the staff, the Mariners bullpen has undergone some changes. Collin Snider and Andres Munoz are both having career seasons, Gregory Santos is currently out with injury but has been one of the hardest-throwing relievers Seattle has had when he’s healthy. And rookie Troy Taylor has played himself into being a back-end reliever since making his debut Aug. 11 against the New York Mets.

“Obviously I’ve been watching in Arizona,” Brash said. “So it’s been really cool to see all the guys. Me and Munoz have been together for a while now so I’m really happy for him. He’s been awesome. There’s been some new guys this year, obviously, and some guys that maybe haven’t had a full chance yet. And it’s just awesome to see them take full advantage of that and see them showing what they can do. But yeah — bullpen’s been doing their thing. I feel like they’ve been pretty rock solid over the last few years and it’s been cool to see all them doing their thing, for sure.”

Brash might not have taken the field this year, but his impact is something that is still present. Brash has been praised for what he means to the organization by General Manager Justin Hollander, former manager Scott Servais and even more coaches and staff within the team.

It’s not rare for higher-ups to talk up players, but it’s easy to see when talking to all of those people that their praise of Brash isn’t just lip service.

“It means a lot,” Brash said. “Being down in Arizona, I’m away from the team and all that. So it’s really cool when upper management and your coaches and people that have given you a chance and kind of let me grow as a ball player said nice words about me. I’ve always said I’m super grateful to the Mariners for giving me an opportunity. I love this (organization). It means a lot, for sure.”

Brash is estimated for a June 2025 return according to initial reports following his surgery. When he returns, he’ll rejoin a bullpen that features all the aforementioned names plus whoever else Seattle adds. And a healthy bullpen of Brash, Munoz, Santos, Snider and Taylor will be dangerous no matter what offense they go against.

“I can’t wait,” Brash said. “Watching the game is one thing but wanting to be out there is another. I’ve got it marked down on my calendar for next year. But it’s really cool. I feel the depth we have in the bullpen now — and all these young guys too coming out — throwing good stuff. I can’t wait to be a part of it again.”

FORMER MARINERS STARTER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT: Former Seattle Mariners starter and 12-year veteran announced his retirement on the Baseball is Boring podcast on Wednesday. CLICK HERE

MARINERS RIVALS GET BAD NEWS THAT COULD IMPACT PLAYOFF RACE: The Seattle Mariners American League West rivals the Los Angeles Angels placed strong-armed reliever Ben Joyce on the injured list on Tuesday as critical games loom. CLICK HERE

CASTILLO HEADING TO IL: Seattle Mariners starting pitcher Luis Castillo will be out for at least two weeks with a grade-two hamstring strain, per Mariners General Manager Justin Hollander. CLICK HERE

Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady

Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, and we’re starting to learn more about the league’s landscape in 2024.

Each week in this column, I’ll analyze a futures bet I’m taking before the coming week’s games.

This week it’s the Seahawks, who I like better than Ryan Dunleavy does. My Post colleague still has Seattle ranked 21st in his Week 2 Power Rankings.

Week 2 NFL futures best bets

Before the season, I wrote about the teams I’m buying and selling to make the playoffs. The Seahawks were my biggest buy at nearly 2-1 odds, and that number is long gone after an opening-week win.

However, I still see value in plus-money odds, and my confidence is rising in this team despite a sloppy Week 1 showing at home against the Broncos.

Trailing at halftime, the Seahawks needed some time to get rolling on both sides of the ball. It’s not shocking, given the team’s new coaching staff elected to play starters sparingly in the preseason.

The ball got rolling in the second half, though, and I was incredibly impressed with first-year head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Yes, Seattle was facing a rookie quarterback (Bo Nix) making his first start on the road. However, the Seahawks have tons of young defensive talent that flashed in Week 1.

Devon Witherspoon and Tariq Woolen could be the league’s best young cornerback duo. Julian Love was PFF’s highest-graded safety in Week 1, and rookie Byron Murphy II is a problem for opponents on the defensive line. Boye Mafe is also poised for a breakout season, logging nine pressures against Denver.

My biggest concern for the Seahawks is their offensive line, which ranked 29th in pass-block win rate in Week 1. Charles Cross continues to ascend as a franchise left tackle, but the rest of the group leaves much to be desired.

Eventually, getting Abraham Lucas back will help, and offensive line coach Scott Huff led a Washington line last year that was a finalist for the Joe Moore Award.

Huff worked under Ryan Grubb at Washington. Grubb’s offense utilized motion at a 78.9 percent rate in Week 1, up from 53.2 percent in 2023 and the highest rate in a game with Geno Smith since he became the starter in 2021.

The diversification of the rushing attack paid dividends, with running back Kenneth Walker III taking over the game in the second half.

I also loved Macdonald’s aggressiveness in the game, going for a two-point conversion in the second quarter and instructing Grubb to go for the kill on offense late despite holding just a six-point lead.

Seattle is an analytics-driven organization, and risk calculation makes a massive difference throughout a season compared to other coaches, including the Raiders’ Antonio Pierce, whose conservative play-calling and decision-making hurt their teams.

The competition in the NFC took a hit this week.

In the NFC West, the Rams lost star receiver Puka Nacua (knee) for at least four games after he was placed on injured reserve on Wednesday, one of three players the team put on IR. They are also dealing with a cluster of injuries in their secondary and along the offensive line.

Elsewhere, Green Bay lost Jordan Love for the foreseeable future, Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins had a rocky debut in Week 1 and Tampa Bay is dealing with significant injury woes. Seattle’s path to at least a wild-card spot is increasing.

Betting on the NFL?

After Week 1, FTN gives the Seahawks a 63.6 percent chance to make the playoffs, and the current +110 odds offer an implied probability of 47.6 percent, showing clear value on the current number.

The Seahawks are also priced at +500 to win the NFC West (16.7 percent implied probability), with FTN giving them a 26.2 percent chance at the division crown.

I recommend a full-unit bet on the Seahawks to make the playoffs at +110 and a quarter-unit bet on them to win the division at +500 odds.

NFL futures best bets

• Seahawks to make playoffs (+110, DraftKings)
• Seahawks to win NFC West (+500, FanDuel)