Boeing Workers Set to Strike, Halting 737 MAX Production

Boeing is about to feel the full force of a labor movement as thousands of factory workers prepare to strike. Late Thursday, around 30,000 workers voted overwhelmingly—96% in favor—to walk off the job. These employees are responsible for producing planes like Boeing’s famous 737-MAX and more key materials in the West Coast, and the walkoff will grind everything from their’s best-selling plane to a complete stop.

This marks the first major time Boeing employees have staged a walkoff of this magnitude since 2008, and with it officially starting at midnight Pacific time on Friday, the company is bracing for disruptions. The strike will undoubtedly have ripple effects across the aerospace industry, further complicating an already strained supply chain. Boeing now faces a significant challenge: finding a resolution before the work stoppage deals a heavier blow to its operations.