Boeing Fighter Jet Workers Strike After Contract Rejection

More than 3,200 Boeing union members in the St. Louis area and Illinois started a strike on Monday after they rejected the second contract proposal. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ District 837 declared that their members need a contract which reflects their abilities and their vital role in U.S. defense.
The proposed four-year agreement from Boeing provided employees with a 40% average wage boost and a $5,000 signing bonus together with additional vacation time and sick leave benefits and scheduled pay increases. The Boeing Defense company stated that their proposed offer was fair and they have established backup plans to maintain operational continuity.
The workers at the facility manufacture F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets together with the T-7 trainer and the MQ-25 aerial refueling drone. Boeing Defense will expand its local facilities to produce the new F-47A fighter because they received an Air Force contract.
CEO Kelly Ortberg minimized the effects of the strike by pointing out that the company survived a seven-week commercial jet worker walkout during the previous year. The defense unit plans to keep production schedules on track because of increasing military aircraft demand from geopolitical tensions while negotiations may continue.