BOEING FIGHTER JET WORKERS GO ON STRIKE – Over 3,000 strike after rejecting contract offer
More than 3,200 union members who assemble Boeing’s fighter jets in the St. Louis area and Illinois went on strike after rejecting a second contract offer the previous day.
Boeing Defense said it was ready for the work stoppage and it will implement a contingency plan that uses non-labor workers.
According to the company, the rejected four-year contract would have raised the average wage by roughly 40% and included a 20% general wage increase and a $5,000 ratification bonus. It also included increasing periodic raises, more vacation time and sick leave.
Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ District 837 “deserve a contract that reflects their skill, dedication, and the critical role they play in our nation’s defense,” District 837 head Tom Boelling said in a statement.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg downplayed the impact of a strike when talking with analysts on Tuesday about second-quarter earnings, noting that the company had weathered a seven-week strike last year by District 751 members, who build commercial jets in the Northwest and number 33,000.
