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2mo ago

St. Louis Boeing Machinists Set to Strike After Rejecting Contract Offer

Rank-and-file machinists rejected Boeing’s four-year deal over unmet priorities, triggering a cooling-off period before potential walkouts on Aug. 4.

Pro-union signs are pictured outside the Boeing Renton Production Facility on November 3, 2024. More than 3,000 members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in the St. Louis area voted on Sunday to go on strike.
FILE - The Boeing logo is displayed at the company's factory, Sept. 24, 2024, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)
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FILE - A truck displays a small strike sign in the parking lot of the Aerospace Machinists Union hall as Boeing employees arrive to vote on a new contract offer from the company, Nov. 4, 2024, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, file)

Overview

  • More than 3,200 members of IAM District 837 at three St. Louis-area defense plants voted overwhelmingly against a contract that included a 20% wage increase over four years.
  • Union leaders had hailed the proposal as landmark, but rank-and-file workers said it fell short of addressing their priorities and sacrifices.
  • The previous collective bargaining agreement expired at midnight on July 27, activating a seven-day cooling-off period that prevents a strike until Aug. 4.
  • Boeing’s Air Dominance division has paused negotiations and activated contingency plans to brace for disruptions at facilities that build F/A-18 Super Hornets and Red Hawk trainers.
  • A strike could stall production of key fighter jets and complicate Boeing’s expansion of the F-47 program while its defense arm remains unprofitable since 2022.