There has been speculation that the strike could also affect progress on the sixth-generation F-47 fighter, also under development by Boeing.
Workers at three of Boeing’s Midwest facilities rejected the company’s latest contract offer on Sunday, extending a strike that began nearly three months ago. The aerospace giant said in a statement to the media that it was “disappointed” by the vote, which saw 51 percent of the 3,200 machinists employed at plants in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri, and Mascoutah, Illinois, reject the new contract.
This workforce now striking is vastly smaller than last year’s walkout by 33,000 Boeing employees in the Pacific Northwest, but the Midwest union is holding out for a similar deal.
“Boeing claimed they listened to their employees—the result of today’s vote proves they have not,” Brian Bryant, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 837, said in a statement. “Boeing’s corporate executives continue to insult the very people who build the world’s most advanced military aircraft—the same planes and military systems that keep our servicemembers and nation safe.”
The Aviation Workers’ Strike Has Gone on for Three Months
As previously reported, the 2024 strike at Boeing’s facilities in Washington and Oregon lasted 7 weeks, concluding after workers agreed to a new four-year contract that included a 38 percent wage increase, a $12,000 signing bonus, and other benefits.
Although IAM District 837 is less than a tenth the size of the machinists in the Pacific West, they are holding out for a similar contract. Boeing has resisted these incentives. Its most recent offer reduced a $5,000 ratification bonus to $1,000 retention bonus, but added $3,000 in Boeing stock shares that would vest over three years. Previous offers included a 20 percent wage increase over the next four years.
Boeing has cited the lower cost of living in the Midwest compared with the Pacific Northwest, where housing prices are significantly higher.
“We’re disappointed with the vote result,” Boeing said in a statement. “The union’s statement is misleading since the vote failed by the slimmest of margins, 51 percent to 49 percent. With the close result and the increased interest we’re hearing from teammates who want to cross the picket line, it’s clear many understand the value of our offer.”
Boeing officials have said the aerospace firm was prepared for the strike and added that it is “turning [its] focus to executing the next phase of our contingency plan in support of our customers.”
How Has the Strike Affected Military Readiness?
According to The Associated Press, Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security sector “accounts for more than one-third of the company’s revenue,” and the company will report its third-quarter earnings on Wednesday.
Last year’s strike slowed aircraft production at Boeing and contributed to the company’s net loss for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). It also resulted in the lowest monthly jetliner delivery total since November 2020, when demand for aircraft was sharply curtailed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
There has been speculation that the strike could also affect the development of the F-47, the sixth-generation manned fighter at the center of the United States Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program.
Earlier this month, Air Force chief of staff nominee General Kenneth Wilsbach said in written testimony to lawmakers that a strike would impact deliveries of Boeing’s F-15EX.
That will further disrupt F-15EX operations at the Portland Air National Guard Base (ANGB) and delay the initial OCONUS (outside the contiguous United States) fielding of Lot 3 aircraft, notably to the US Air Force’s Kadena Air Base in Japan.
Boeing isn’t the only defense contractor to have faced delays due to organized labor walkouts. In May of this year, nearly 1,000 workers represented by the UAW went on a month-long strike at Lockheed Martin, delaying production of components for the Hellfire and JAGM missiles, which were already on a multi-year backorder.
That same month, around 3,000 workers at Pratt & Whitney went on strike in Hartford, Conn., affecting deliveries of the F-135 engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
General Dynamics reached a last-minute deal in May that averted a strike by 2,500 workers at its nuclear submarine facility.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image: Shutterstock / oliverdelahaye.
