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Kamala Harris says she's 'going to win' the black male vote: What do the polls say?

Kamala Harris says she’s ‘going to win’ the black male vote: What do the polls say?



Vice President Kamala Harris said Tuesday at a National Association of Black Journalists event in Philadelphia that it’s important not to operate from the assumption that “Black men are in somebody’s pocket.”

Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, speaking to a panel of three reporters, was asked about young black male voters, who may feel left out by the current economy and support his opponent, former President Donald Trump.

The Democratic party is experiencing a drop in support among young black people, with a quarter of them leaning toward Trump, according to a poll released Friday by the NAACP. The overall result showed a 63% favorability for Harris over Trump’s 13% among black voters. However, the gender gap is notable. While support for Harris among black women remains strong at 67%, it falls to 49% among black men under 50.

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris answers questions during a moderated conversation with members of the National Association of Black Journalists hosted by WHYY on September 17, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Getty Images/AFP

Harris said Tuesday that, “Black men are like any other voting group. You have to earn their vote. I’m working to earn the vote, not assuming I got it because I’m Black, but because policies. and perspectives that I understand what we must do to recognize the needs for all communities.”

She continued: “We’ve come in during the worst unemployment since the Great Depression. We’ve come in the worst public health epidemic in centuries. We’ve come in after the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. Much due in large part to the mismanagement of the former president,” Harris said. “We had a lot of work to do to clean up a mess.”

Harris said she and President Joe Biden have created more than 16 million new jobs, including more than 800,000 manufacturing jobs. The country is also facing its lowest unemployment rate for black workers “in generations,” Harris said.

The administration also capped the price of insulin and prescription medications for seniors, “which is important for Blacks who are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes,” he said. She also promoted her work with President Joe Biden to remove medical debt from credit scores.

“Do we have more work to do? Yes,” Harris said. “I believe that he offers a new generation of leadership for our country that is particularly concerned with turning a page in an era that unfortunately showed us the attempts of some to understand fear and to create divisions in our country.”

She discussed her “opportunity economy” plan, including the need for additional housing to “deal with it head on” by hiring and engaging the private sector to encourage the construction of new homes.

“I believe there are many opportunities available to the American people if we look at people and understand what they want for themselves and their families and just meet them where they are,” Harris said.

Harris announced a plan where no working family would have to pay more than 7% of their income for child care. She said it is currently “too expensive” for the “sandwich generation”, who have to pay for childcare and also care for their parents. The Democratic candidate also called for additional support for home health care and child care providers.

“It’s an unfortunate state of affairs in our country that workers often have to decide whether they can work or pay for child care,” Harris said. “It’s not really level in terms of spending versus income.”

What the polls say

A recent Washington Post-Ipsos poll found Harris boasted strong support from black male voters. According to a Reuters poll last week, 26% of black men under 50 said they supported Trump.

The survey, conducted in early August before the Democratic convention and the recent presidential debate, indicates the potential of undecided voters to shift toward Harris in the end.

On Monday, Harris faced a poll from the NAACP suggesting she could face some challenges.

The NAACP poll, conducted in partnership with Hart Research and HIT Strategies, polled black voters in 12 priority states. While 79% of black women over 50 said they would vote for her, only 66% of men in the same age group felt the same.

Among the youngest Black voters, ages 18 to 49, Harris’ support drops even further, with only 56% supporting his candidacy.

Undecided voters could also be a challenge. While 59% of respondents overall reported a more favorable view of Harris over the past month, only 14% of undecided voters shared that view, with 25% of undecided voters saying the his opinion of her was aggravated.

Earlier this month, however, another poll revealed that Harris is winning the support of an overwhelming number of Black voters.

A Suffolk University poll, which polled 1,000 likely voters from Aug. 25-28, showed Harris leading Trump by 64 points among black voters (76% to 12%). It found that Harris led Trump among all voters by just over 4 points (47.6% to 43.3%).

Trump’s appearance with the NABJ

Harris did not attend NABJ’s annual convention in July due to scheduling issues that prevented him from being there in person. However, Trump attended and made big headlines.

The appearance had several heated exchanges between Trump and the moderators. The Republican candidate questioned why Harris “turned Black” while answering a question about whether he believed he was only on the Democratic ticket because of his race.

Trump also claimed that “millions and millions of people” are coming from the border and “taking black jobs.”

Follow Newsweek’s US Election live blog for updates.

Italy weathers the storm after 21 deaths in floods in Europe

Italy weathers the storm after 21 deaths in floods in Europe


Intense storms battering central Europe are now reaching Italy, where warnings for heavy rain, strong winds and flooding have been issued for most of the country.

Flooding has already been reported in the central city of Pescara, while the weather warning of the Italian meteorological service applies from the northern coast of Emilia-Romagna to the extreme south.

The warnings come as The floods devastated parts of Polandthe Czech Republic, Romania and Austria this week, leaving at least 21 dead.

Authorities in Croatia, Hungary and Slovakia are also warning of flooding in the coming days.

The significant flooding was caused by Storm Boris, which brought large amounts of rain and snow over the weekend.

More than 5,000 soldiers have been deployed to help people in southern Poland, including the 40,000 residents evacuated from the city of Nysa.

Floodwaters are receding in some parts of the region and spreading in others, with the extent of the damage revealed in Polish cities such as Glucholazy.

The city’s main bridge collapsed after being damaged by the swollen river, while many of its streets were covered in mud.

Polish police on Tuesday confirmed that at least six people had died, warning against “false information” after media reports put the total number of people killed at more than a dozen.

The country’s prime minister, Donald Tusk, has declared a month-long state of natural disaster – with the worst flooding expected to hit the city of Wroclaw on Wednesday.

A map showing the density of rainfall in the affected areas of Europe between 9 and 15 September. The highest rainfall of more than 200 mm is concentrated over central Austria and the Polish-Czech border. More than 150 mm were recorded in southern Poland, large parts of the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.

(BBC)

A map of central Europe showing flood reports in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria, with Hungary and Slovakia also marked as A map of central Europe showing flood reports in Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Austria, with Hungary and Slovakia also marked as

(BBC)

The areas along the Czech-Polish border are among the most affected, where 15,000 people have been evacuated also in the Czech Republic.

The country experienced the worst flooding in more than 27 years, according to the local NGO Čnoký v tísn.

Ostrava was one of the hardest hit cities, after the Oder River burst its banks following heavy rainfall on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, water levels continue to rise rapidly on the Danube River in Slovakia and Hungary, with the Slovak capital Bratislava and its Hungarian counterpart Budapest bracing for possible flooding.

Emergency services and volunteers, in some places supported by the army, are also working 24 hours a day to protect low-lying settlements in the region.

A drone view shows the area affected by the flood in Ostrava, many houses are submerged entirely or up to the second floorA drone view shows the area affected by the flood in Ostrava, many houses are submerged entirely or up to the second floor

A drone view of an area affected by flooding in Ostrava, Czech Republic (Reuters)

Austrian authorities have closed sections of the Danube to shipping traffic over high water levels along the vital waterway, according to local media reports.

The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service has warned that the river could experience an “extremely rare” rise in water – and confirmed plans are in place to put up flood barriers if necessary.

In Italy, the country’s National Civil Protection Service has also issued yellow warnings for almost 50 regions tomorrow, warning that there is a risk of storms, landslides and floods.

Professor Hannah Cloke, a meteorologist at the University of Reading, told the BBC that river levels had risen in most of the smaller high-altitude rivers of eastern Europe.

“Some larger rivers, such as the Danube and the Oder, are still partly rising and will not begin to fall again until late Tuesday or Wednesday, and remain much higher than normal,” he added.

BBC weather forecasts indicate the Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions as areas of greatest concern.

The region could see one to two months of rainfall in the next three days alone, and there are major concerns about the prospect of flooding.

Firefighters in Pescara, Abruzzo say they have already received more than 200 calls for help after heavy rains caused flooding.

In Romania, more rain is expected in the eastern Carpathians, which will endanger towns and villages in the counties of Galati and Vaslui, which are already hard hit.

More than a dozen soldiers in uniform are stacking sandbags and plastic sheets as a temporary flood barrier More than a dozen soldiers in uniform are stacking sandbags and plastic sheets as a temporary flood barrier

Hungarian soldiers in the village of Leanyfalu help erect flood barriers with sandbags (Getty Images)

Extreme precipitation is becoming more frequent and intense across central Europe, as it is in much of the world.

While the events in central Europe fit the expectations of more extreme precipitation in a warming world, it is not yet possible to quantify exactly how much of a role climate change has played.

To know for sure, that requires a complete scientific analysis of natural and human influences – which can take weeks or months.

But climate scientists have been warning for years about extreme rainfall events like these occurring as the planet warms.

A warmer atmosphere contains more moisture, which leads to more intense precipitation.

Warmer oceans also lead to more evaporation, fueling storm systems.

For every 1C increase in global average temperature, the atmosphere is able to hold about 7% more moisture.

Professor Cloke told BBC experts that climate change will lead to worse flooding in the coming years if global temperatures continue to rise, as “extreme summer rains are heavier and fill rivers more quickly.”

She also noted: “Just a few weeks ago, parts of southern and eastern Europe were suffering from drought, heat waves and fires.”

“We’re out of the pan and into hot water.”

Republican voting on college polling sites undermines the party's ability to win

Republican voting on college polling sites undermines the party’s ability to win


The Tarrant County Republican Party on Monday called on members of its own party to vote against the county’s top elected official on the issue of voting sites on college campuses.

County GOP Chairman Bo French shared a party resolution on X expressing disapproval of Republican County Commissioners Manny Ramirez and Gary Fickes, who voted Thursday for approve a list of early voting sites which included eight university campuses.

County Judge Tim O’Hare voted against the motion, which was filed by Ramirez, saying polling places on college campuses unfairly favor a small segment of the voting population. I know opponents denounced the move as voter suppression.

Ramirez and Fickes “voted with Democrats on a key electoral vote that undermines the ability of Republicans to win the general election in Tarrant County,” the resolution states.

The resolution calls Ramirez specifically to signal “a disregard for the interests of the party and its constituents”, and invites him and Fickes to “review their political decisions to better reflect the values ​​and expectations of elected Republicans”.

O’Hare publicly said that Low voter turnout is beneficial for conservatives in Tarrant County.

Ramirez and Fickes were not available for comment after Tuesday’s Commissioners Court session.

French fired the first shot Thursday after the sites were approved, accusing Ramirez and Fickes of starting “with the left crowd”.

In the following days, text messages sent by the Tarrant County Patriots PAC urged Republican voters to call and ask Ramirez “why he wants anti-Trump and anti-Cruz Democrats to win in November.”

Ramirez responded in a letter addressed to French over the weekend accusing the party president of spreading misinformation about him and other Republicans on the Commissioners Court.

“Furthermore, you used party resources and shadow PACs to attack me, all because of a personal disagreement over a single issue,” Ramirez said in the letter.

In an attempt to “set the record straight,” Ramirez wrote that he made his motion and vote on the recommendation of County Elections Administrator Clint Ludwig and that he proposed adding more early voting sites in the senior centers.

When O’Hare asked at the Sept. 4 session how many early voting sites he recommended for the county, Ludwig said between 60 and 70.

Ramirez received the support of local voters.

Texas Rep. Charlie Geren, a Republican from Fort Worth, published Ramirez’s letter to the French on X on Saturday, and thanked the commissioner for “staying on conservative principles and maintaining polling stations on university campuses. Republicans know how to win the vote.”

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker released Ramirez’s letter on Tuesday, saying Ramirez should not be vilified for his vote.

“Democracy is meant to be an arena for ideas,” he said. “When we resort to winning at the expense of voter turnout, we all lose.”

Ramirez “recognizes that it is the communication of ideas and policies and the ability to bring people together that wins elections, not partisan politics,” he continued. “We can run for office under the banner of a party, but once elected, you take an oath to serve everyone.”

A bystander shot himself in the head as New York police tackle the evader

A bystander shot himself in the head as New York police tackle the evader


New York police have defended their actions after an aide was shot in the head as two officers confronted a knife-wielding fugitive in a busy subway station.

The man was in critical condition after the shooting at the Sutter Avenue L station in Brooklyn on Sunday afternoon. Three others, including the suspect, were injured.

Police said officers challenged a suspected fare evader, then shot him after he threatened him with a knife. His condition is critical.

New York authorities have made reducing crime on the subway and buses a top priority after a series of violent attacks, robberies and murders. A crackdown on fare evasion is part of that push.

But critics have questioned how the prosecution of a minor offender escalated into the use of lethal force in a crowded area.

Tom Donlon, the city’s acting police commissioner, ordered a full investigation, but added: “Make no mistake, the events that occurred … were the result of an armed perpetrator.”

None of those involved have been named by the police.

Jennvine Wong, of the Legal Aid Society Cop Accountability Project, told the New York Times that police had put lives at risk after choosing “in a confined space … to use disproportionate force.”

At a news conference, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said two officers saw a man go through the barriers without paying.

Maddrey said body camera footage showed the suspect threatening to “kill” the officers if they followed him, before confronting them with a knife.

The footage shows a train pulled into the station as the confrontation escalated. Officers fired Tasers at the man – to no effect – as he attempted to board the train, before jumping onto the platform.

“At one point he advances on one of the officers with his knife,” Maddrey said. “The officer stops, draws his weapon, and both officers at this point fire.”

Two bystanders, a policeman and the suspect were hit.

Maddrey said the officer realized he had been shot in the armpit but continued to perform “safety measures” on the suspect. The two officers realized that two passers-by had also been hit by the fire. Two other officers then arrived and helped the injured.

Officials said the suspect had a record of 20 prior arrests and a significant history of mental illness.

Janno Liever, the chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, said the incident “started because someone wanted to come to the transit system with a weapon, someone who … had a history of crime and a history of violence and even gun charges.”

Police said on Sunday that a knife had been recovered and posted a photo on social media. The next day, however, he posted another message saying that the knife had been taken from the crime scene by an unidentified man.

City authorities have tried to expand the police presence in their transport system after an increase in crime. All stations on the city’s system have security cameras and pilot schemes are being run to scan passengers for weapons.

The MTA last year announced a crackdown on fare evasion, backed by police enforcement. Officials say aggressive enforcement can help catch criminals and remove weapons from New York trains.

But the problem continues to grow, with NYPD statistics showing 2,227 arrests and more than 30,000 citations in the second quarter of this year — roughly double that of the same period five years ago.

OceanGate CEO puts profits over safety ahead of Titan's fateful voyage, ex-employee says

OceanGate CEO puts profits over safety ahead of Titan’s fateful voyage, ex-employee says


In the desire to get a working submarine to the Titanic wreck site as quickly as possible, the Titan was built at a safety risk, with cost-cutting measures and poor engineering allowed by CEO Stockton Rush , a former employee said Tuesday in scathing remarks. in a US Coast Guard investigative hearing.

“There was a big push to get this done. A lot of steps along the way were missed,” testified David Lochridge, former director of marine operations for OceanGate, the Washington state company that operated the water vessel. deep Titan.

“The whole idea behind the company was to make money,” said Lochridge, who was fired from his role after about two years. “There was very little in the way of science.”

Rush was piloting the Titan with four others on board, some paying passengers, when it imploded in June 2023 during a Titanic dive tour at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. All five were killed, including a renowned Titanic explorer and a father and his 19-year-old son.

OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush, left, and pilot Randy Holt dive aboard the company’s submersible Antipodes in 2013.Wilfredo Lee / AP file

Fifteen months after the fatal voyage, the Coast Guard Marine Board of Investigation is holding a two-week hearing in South Carolina to determine what led to the catastrophe and what safety recommendations can be made to federal regulatory agencies and international. Potential criminality could also be referred to the Department of Justice.

Lochridge was made director of operations in January 2016 after moving his family from his native Scotland on a work visa that OceanGate helped obtain. He testified that he was not directly involved with the design or construction of the Titan’s original hull, as his relationship with Rush broke down in the summer of 2016 after Lochridge said he “embarrassed” his boss later a heated encounter during an exploration mission to view the sunken. transatlantic, the Andrea Doria.

But Rush was still inspecting the Titan that was nearing the end of early 2018, Lochridge said.

What he found was “an abomination of a sub,” he said, and after learning firsthand that most of the same materials were “reused” in a second Titan hull that was manufactured and ultimately involved in the calamity of the past year.

“Stockton liked to do things on the cheap,” Lochridge testified.

Front row: Hamish Harding, Paul Henry Nargeolet. Bottom row: Suleman and Shahzada Dawood and Stockton Rush.
The five people killed when the submersible Titan imploded in June 2023, clockwise from top left: Hamish Harding, Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Stockton Rush, and Suleman and Shahzada Dawood.Dirty Dozen Productions; AFP via Getty Images; via LinkedIn; Courtesy of the Dawood family

Lochridge was to be fired in January 2018 for voicing his concerns and appearing “anti-project”, he said.

His public comments on the second day of Coast Guard hearings came after federal investigators opened up Monday with new details from the implosion, including a photo of Titan’s tail cone, and testimony of another OceanGate executive, former director of engineering Tony Nissen.

Nissen, who was hired in 2016, said he raised concerns with Rush after the Titan’s original hull — made of experimental carbon fiber, which has not been repeatedly proven to withstand the pressures of the deep sea – was compromised after it was struck by lightning during a test mission in 2018. The hull also suffered an unsalvageable crack, Nissen said, and refused to complete another test mission the following year, prompting the i shoot

Lochridge on Tuesday said he also met with Nissen, pointing out how OceanGate was struggling internally as it tried to do business: convincing rich people to pay tens of thousands of dollars to go on deep-sea dives in their submersibles .

“It was all smoke and mirrors,” Lochridge said. “All the social media you see about all these past expeditions, they’ve always had problems with their expeditions.”

The CEO “beats me” on the head during the diving mission

Lochridge recounted a first dangerous dive in the summer of 2016, when Rush piloted another of the company’s submersibles, Cyclops 1, on a trip to visit the Andrea Doria, the Italian ocean liner that is sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1956 after colliding with another. ship

Lochridge testified Tuesday that he told Rush he shouldn’t be in charge of that trip, but the CEO was adamant. (The submarine gained attention when it was unveiled last year because it used a PlayStation controller to pilot.)

With three paying customers aboard the Cyclops 1 during that trip, Rush piloted the vessel recklessly, Lochridge testified.

“”Don’t tell me what to do,” Rush said, according to Lochridge.

Rush then piloted the sub directly toward the decaying ocean liner.

“He decided to go straight to the wreck,” Lochridge said, adding: “He just hit the bottom” and “basically drove full speed.”

“Every time I went to take the controller from him, he pushed it further and further,” Lochridge said.

One of the passengers was in tears, Lochridge said, adding that Rush only relinquished control when a passenger screamed.

Upset, Rush threw the PlayStation controller and “hit me on the side of my head,” Lochridge said.

Ultimately, Lochridge said, he discovered the controller, which had a missing button, and repaired it before piloting the Cyclops 1, which saw some damage, back up.

Once safe, the passengers cheered Lochridge, he said.

“I embarrassed him in front of the customers. He wasn’t happy,” Lochridge said of Rush. “I knew it was a turning point in our relationship.”

After Lochridge’s dismissal, OceanGate sued him in 2018, alleging breach of contract, including violating the terms of his contractual employment by discussing confidential information with other employees and representatives of the Health Administration and Occupational Safety.

Lochridge filed a lawsuit against OceanGate. The two sides later settled their dispute out of court.

Lochridge explained on Tuesday that instead of paying money to OceanGate as part of a settlement, he signed a non-disclosure agreement; he has been unable to speak freely about his employment until now, when the Coast Guard subpoenaed him.

Pursuing a counterclaim “wasn’t going anywhere,” Lochridge said, and his wife and he realized “that was causing more hurt for us.”

GLAAD finds an overall decline in LGBTQ representation in major studio films

GLAAD finds an overall decline in LGBTQ representation in major studio films

GLAAD, the LGBTQ media advocacy organization, has released its 12th annual Study Responsibility Index followed the films released during 2023. Despite “a huge increase in LGBTQ characters who were front and center in their own narratives”, the study found that the number of films with LGBTQ characters fell in 2023.

The survey looked at 256 films from 10 major distributors and their subsidiaries and streaming services. GLAAD says the index can serve as a guide for studios to identify priorities and opportunities to increase and improve LGBTQ representation and fair, accurate and inclusive storytelling.

Key findings of the study include:

  • 70 of the 256 films, or 27.3%, contained an LGBTQ character, a decrease from 28.5% in 2022.
  • Those 70 films included 170 LGBTQ characters, of which 46% were characters of color, representing a 6% increase from the 2022 study.
  • Of the 170 LGBTQ characters interviewed, only two were transgender, from the films “Next Goal Wins” and “¡Que Viva Mexico!”, from 13 last year. GLAAD noted the “¡Que Viva Mexico!” The character was played by a cisgender man and called the number “alarmingly low”.
  • Only two of the 170 LGBTQ characters had a disability, a decrease from 11 in the previous year.

The survey ranked 10 distributors based on the quality, quantity and diversity of LGBTQ inclusion in addition to GLAAD’s Vito Russo Test, a set of criteria to analyze how characters are included in a film. The ratings of the distributors found that A24 was insufficient, while Amazon was good, Apple TV + was failing, Lionsgate was insufficient, NBCUniversal and Netflix were fair, Paramount Global, Sony and Walt Disney Studios were insufficient, and Warner Bros. (NBCUniversal is the parent company of NBC News.)

“Although there is inconsistent progress on LGBTQ representation from major distributors year after year, recent films with LGBTQ leaders prove that our stories can absolutely be critical and commercial successes – when they have the full support of the studio behind them to them,” GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis said in a statement “As the film production and distribution model continues to evolve, major distributors must deepen investment and intent in storytelling to keep the attention of a growing diverse audience, who crave stories that reflect their experience and values.If LGBTQ representation continues to decline in major releases, these companies will lose relevance with a buying public crucial. GLAAD is committed to continuing and deepening our work with studios and the creative community to ensure we meet this moment together.”

Megan Townsend, GLAAD’s senior director of entertainment research and analysis, said the decline in trans representation was particularly troubling.

“This year’s study found a significant and worrying decrease in the representation of transgender characters and stories, from 12 titles to just two – and one of those films was clearly transphobic, he said. “We know that less than 30 % of American adults personally know someone who is transgender, so they may be more susceptible to lies and misinformation about trans people spread by anti-transgender politicians and activists.”

With the goal of achieving more representation in LGBTQ content, GLAAD leads initiatives such as the GLAAD List of unproduced scripts; the Communities of Color team that launched the Black Queer Creative Summit and Equity in Media and Entertainment Initiative; GLAAD Spirit Day on October 17; the GLAAD Media Institute and the GLAAD research department.

How the Democratic campaign chair thinks they can still win the Senate

How the Democratic campaign chair thinks they can still win the Senate


The man tasked with keeping the Democrats in power in the Senate this election has predicted that his party is on track to defy the odds and hang on to its narrow majority.

“I think we’re going to hold the majority. I feel good where we are,” Michigan Senator Gary Peters, the chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, told reporters at a breakfast hosted by The Christian Science Monitor on Tuesday morning

That’s a tall order.

Boeing strikes emotion as security guard flashes gun in picket altercation

Boeing strikes emotion as security guard flashes gun in picket altercation


A strike in progress 33,000 Boeing machinists took a potentially dangerous turn as a security guard displayed a gun after an altercation with workers walking a picket line Monday outside the plane maker’s main headquarters in Seattle.

Sheriff’s deputies responded to “reports of a disturbance” at a Boeing parts distribution center at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Monday morning, a King County Sheriff’s Office spokesman told CBS MoneyWatch, noting reports of protesters blocking access to the property.

A security guard flashed a gun as he left the location, though there was no indication he pointed it at anyone and he left without further incident, according to the sheriff’s department.

Boeing called the incident “unacceptable” and said the contract security guard involved would not return to the company.

“We respect the right of our employees to peacefully picket and believe everyone should feel safe. We are cooperating with the King County Sheriff’s Office as they investigate,” the aircraft manufacturer said in a statement.

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, or IAM District 751, and the company that employed the guard, Allied Universal, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.


Why Boeing factory workers are on strike

03:55

Tensions between Boeing and striking assembly workers are high. The plane’s manufacturer said Monday it was hiring freeze because of the strike launched three days earlier, saying that the fallout “endangers” their business.

Workers voted overwhelmingly to reject a proposal that would have increased wages by 25% over four years, with the deal falling short of the union’s initial demand for a 40% wage increase over three years The union also sought to restore traditional pensions that were eliminated a decade ago, but settled for increased contributions from Boeing to employees’ 401(k) pension plans.

The striking workers build the 737 Max, Boeing’s best-selling jetliner, along with the 777 business jet and the 767 cargo plane at factories in Renton and Everett, Washington. Boeing 787 Dreamliners are built by non-union workers in South Carolina.

Boeing has already faced financial setbacks and a battered reputation before the strike. It has lost more than $25 billion since the beginning of 2019 after a series of manufacturing problems and comes under investigation by federal regulators this year.

IAM District 751 said in a declaration that its negotiating committee will enter into mediation with Boeing on Tuesday. The union noted that the mediator would not have the authority to force either side to accept specific terms, but would instead act as a neutral party trying to help the sides find common ground.