LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) -- Boeing workers who assemble the giant C-17 cargo jets in Long Beach are on picket lines in a dispute over pension and medical benefits.
The walkout began at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and picket lines are up at several Boeing locations in Long Beach, Calif. Boeing Co. is the city\'s largest employer with some 1,700 workers.
The walkout comes after union and management talks failed. A week ago, nearly 80 percent of the United Auto Works Local 148 union members rejected a 46-month contract proposal because the workers felt it contained too many concessions.
Picket Jeff Bartlett told KTLA-TV that union members shouldn\'t be forced to give up benefits. He says, "We\'re concerned about our age. We\'ve given up our youth for Boeing."
