Boeing defense machinists strike in Missouri, Illinois
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."
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