Latest news with #BrianBryant
UPI
3 days ago
- Business
- UPI
Boeing machinists who build fighter jets reject contract, plan strike
A large American flag is hoisted behind a Boeing F/A-18 E1 Super Hornet jet before dedication ceremonies at the National Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood, Mo., on August 3, 2024. Machinists at three plants in the St. Louis area the product fight jets rejected a contract. File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo July 27 (UPI) -- Several thousand Boeing union workers at three St. Louis-area plants who build fighter jets are planning to go on strike after rejecting a proposed contract Sunday that would pay an average of than $100,000 per year. Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers at Boeing factories in St. Louis and St. Charles in Missouri and Mascoutah in Illinois voted against the new contract that included a 20% wage increase over four years. The contract for District 837 members will expire at 11:59 p.m. CDT at which point there is a seven-day cooling-off period before a strike could start. In all, there are 16,000 employees at the three locations, according to St. Louis Business Journal Research. "IAM Union members delivered a clear message: the proposal from Boeing Defense fell short of addressing the priorities and sacrifices of the skilled IAM Union workforce," the union said in a news release. "Our members are standing together to demand a contract that respects their work and ensures a secure future." Boeing and the union representing the machinists on Thursday reached an agreement on a four-year contract that would boost annual salaries to $102,600 with an 8% increase in the first year and 4% for the other three years. "This contract puts money in members' pockets, protects healthcare access, and ensures our members have a voice in future health decisions all while respecting the skill and dedication IAM workers bring to Boeing's critical defense programs," IAM Union International President Brian Bryant said after the tentative contract. The total increase would be 40% when including other benfits. There was a $5,000 ratification bonus. Boeing said the current average hourly pay of $35 is $6 higher than three years ago. "The IAM Union remains committed to achieving a fair contract that meets the needs of our members," the union said. "The IAM Union looks forward to returning to the bargaining table with Boeing's leadership to deliver meaningful improvements that support the well-being and livelihoods of IAM members and their families." IAM, with approximately 600,000 active and retired workers, is one of North America's largest and most diverse industrial trade unions. They represent workers in aerospace/airlines, defense, shipbuilding, railroads/transit, healthcare and automotive in the United States and Canada. "We're disappointed our employees voted down the richest contract offer we've ever presented to IAM 837 which addressed all their stated priorities," Dan Gillian, Boeing Air Dominance vice President, said in a statement, obtained by KSDK-TV. "We've activated our contingency plan and are focused on preparing for a strike. No talks are scheduled with the union." Last year, Boeing machinists in the Pacific Northwest were in a 54-day strike that shut down airplane production. Ultimately, they agreed to an immediate pay boost of 13% and a total of 44% over four years when compounded. Boeing has more than 170,000 employees worldwide. The vote came two days before Boeing plans to announce its second-quarter earnings.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alstom opens new passenger rail car manufacturing plant in New York
This story was originally published on Smart Cities Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Smart Cities Dive newsletter. Alstom, a global supplier of rail vehicles, locomotives and related infrastructure, opened a $75 million manufacturing facility Monday in Hornell, New York, adding to its existing production site. The 135,000 square foot plant will begin producing 200 multilevel commuter rail cars for Metra, Chicago's commuter rail system. The fourth plant on the site will manufacture stainless steel car body shells for passenger rail vehicles, bringing production back from Brazil. Buoyed by growth in its Americas region, Alstom's plant expansion enables it to reshore production of car body shells to the U.S. That could be essential for the company to win contracts that must comply with the Buy America Act, which requires that at least 70% of each rail car be made in the U.S. and that final assembly must take place in the U.S. Some of Alstom's current projects include multilevel rail cars for New Jersey Transit, an automated people mover system at Los Angeles International Airport and Amtrak's new Acela train sets for the Northeast Corridor. The new facility will create 258 jobs and retain 390 existing jobs, Alstom said in a news release. 'These are generational, family-sustaining union careers that benefit the entire community,' International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers President Brian Bryant said in a statement. Alstom benefitted from federal, state and local grants, job and tax credit programs toward the new plant. 'I was proud to secure $3.4 million in federal funding to put Alstom on the fast track to expand and house this new manufacturing facility,' Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a statement. The high-tech facility includes automated welding robots to make precision welds for assemblies up to 80 feet long. Alstom says that will improve quality and lower costs for transit authority customers. 'When we invest in American manufacturing, we create good jobs that have a ripple effect across the entire region,' Michael Keroullé, president of Alstom Americas, said in a statement. 'Plant 4 upholds our long-standing commitment to making trains in America.' Recommended Reading FTA awards $631M to 3 transit agencies for new rail cars Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
