More than 3,200 Boeing union members who assemble fighter jets in Missouri and Illinois walked off the job on Monday after rejecting a second contract offer. The workers, represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ District 837, turned down a four-year deal that included a roughly 40% average wage increase, a $5,000 signing bonus, improved vacation and sick leave, and higher periodic raises.
Boeing Defense said it was prepared for the work stoppage and would activate contingency plans using non-union labor. “We’re disappointed our employees in St. Louis rejected an offer that featured 40% average wage growth,” said Dan Gillian, Boeing vice president and general manager of the St. Louis facilities. District 837 president Tom Boelling countered that members deserve a deal that truly reflects their skills and the vital role they play in national defense.
The strike affects production of Boeing’s F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets, the T-7 trainer aircraft, and the MQ-25 refueling drone. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg downplayed potential disruptions, citing the company’s ability to withstand last year’s seven-week strike by commercial jet builders in Washington state. The walkout comes as Boeing’s defense unit ramps up St. Louis-area manufacturing for the new F-47A fighter jet, recently awarded under a U.S. Air Force contract.
