machinists

Sept. 12 (UPI) — More than 3,000 Boeing Co. machinists in St. Louis remain on strike after rejecting the latest contract offer from the aerospace company that seeks to end the strike that began on Aug. 4.

The defense contractor’s machinists rejected Boeing’s third contract offer on Friday and instead will continue the first walkout in nearly 30 years at the Missouri facility, CNBC reported.

“Boeing’s modified offer did not include a sufficient signing bonus relative to what other Boeing workers have received, or a raise in 401(k) benefits,” officials for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a statement, as reported by CNBC.

“The democratic vote underscores the determination of approximately 3,200 IAM Union members to continue their stand together until their voices are heard,” union officials said.

Friday’s vote nixed a proposed five-year contract that would have raised wages by 45% and paid each worker a $4,000 signing bonus, St. Louis Public Radio reported.

If approved, the St. Louis Boeing machinists would have had their average annual pay rise from $75,000 to $109,000, according to CNBC.

The contract offer would not have changed available vacation time or other benefits offered in two prior contract proposals.

The union said 57% of workers voted to reject the contract offer, which improved upon a prior offer that would have raised their wages by 20% and paid a $5,000 signing bonus.

Boeing Air Dominance Vice President Dan Gillian told CNBC that no additional contract talks are scheduled.

“We’ve made it clear the overall economic framework of our offer will not be changed,” Gillian said. “We have consistently adjusted the offer based on employer and union feedback to better address their concerns.”

Boeing is hiring workers to replace those who are on strike to help the firm meet rising demand for its products, which Gillian called its “contingency plan.”

The Boeing facility produces F-15 fighter jets and missile systems.

Boeing workers in Illinois also walked out on Aug. 4 after rejecting the company’s initial contract offer.

Aug. 4 (UPI) — Three Boeing defense plants face a strike as 3,200 hourly machinists walked off their jobs.

Members of the International Association of Machinists voted to strike at about 1 a.m. EDT Monday.

“3,200 highly-skilled IAM Union members at Boeing went on strike at midnight because enough is enough,” the union wrote on X.

IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli on Sunday urged a new contract for the workers.

“IAM District 837 members build the aircraft and defense systems that keep our country safe. They deserve nothing less than a contract that keeps their families secure and recognizes their unmatched expertise,” Cicinelli said.

The striking members work at facilities in St. Louis and St. Charles, Mo., and Mascoutah, Ill., the union said.

On July 27, they voted to reject a four-year contract proposal by the company.

“We’re disappointed our employees rejected an offer that featured 40% average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules,” Boeing said in a statement on Sunday, titled “Last, best and final offer.” “We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers.”

The workers on strike build and maintain fighter jets, including the F-15 and F/A-18 models. They also build the T-7A Red Hawk trainer and the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned refueler. The F-47 stealth fighter jet, the Pentagon’s next-generation fighter plane, is planned to be built at a Boeing plant in the St. Louis area, though the company hasn’t said which plant will build it or when production will begin. Boeing also operates some nonunion plants in the area.

Boeing Defense, Space and Security unit has recorded nearly $11 billion in losses from late 2021 through the end of 2024. Pentagon contracts that made the company responsible for cost overruns, including two new Air Force One jets, are the main cause. But this year, the unit has made profits.

In the Boeing earnings call last week, CEO Kelly Ortberg said the company can weather the costs of the strike. He said it would be far less than the cost of last year’s strike of 33,000 commercial plane unit workers.

“The order of magnitude of this is much, much less than what we saw last fall,” Ortberg said. “I wouldn’t worry too much about the implications of the strike. We’ll manage our way through that.”