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4d ago

Boeing Defense Machinists Begin First St. Louis-Area Strike Since 1996

About 3,200 IAM District 837 machinists halted production of key military jets, prompting Boeing to rely on contingency staffing as negotiations stall.

Pro-union stickers are pictured on a pole outside the Boeing Renton Production Facility one day before striking union members will vote on a new contract offer in Renton, Washington on November 3, 2024.
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Boeing Co. F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets sit at the Boeing Defense, Space & Security facility in St. Louis, Missouri, on July 24, 2018.

Overview

  • More than 3,200 members of IAM District 837 walked off at three St. Louis-area plants at midnight on August 4 after rejecting Boeing’s revised four-year contract that included a 20% wage increase, enhanced pension provisions and a $5,000 ratification bonus.
  • The strike disrupts assembly lines for F-15 fighters, F/A-18 Super Hornets, T-7 trainers, MQ-25 refueling drones and the Pentagon’s next-generation F-47 stealth jet.
  • Boeing Air Dominance vice president Dan Gillian confirmed there are no further talks scheduled and said contingency plans are in place using non-union personnel to maintain operations.
  • Union leaders and rank-and-file members cited the company’s proposed alternative work schedules and other outstanding issues as reasons to demand a contract they say better reflects their critical role in national defense.
  • The walkout compounds Boeing’s challenges after last year’s commercial-aircraft strike and ongoing safety scrutiny, raising concerns about production delays and increased costs for its defense division.