Boeing defense workers are set to strike Monday after rejecting a 20% wage increase, halting F-47 fighter jet production.
More than 3,200 Boeing defense workers are set to begin striking Monday, August 4, after overwhelmingly rejecting a contract proposal that included a 20 percent wage increase over four years.Why It Matters
This latest action represents the first strike in nearly three decades at Boeing’s St. Louis-area defense factories, with the union’s last work stoppage occurring in 1996 and lasting 99 days, according to Bloomberg.
The strike also adds to Boeing’s mounting challenges amid ongoing safety concerns and production issues that have severely damaged the company’s reputation. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated in March that Boeing had lost the trust of the American people following a mid-air panel blowout on an Alaska Airlines 737 MAX 9, two fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people, and a recent Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in India that killed 260 people.
The work stoppage will directly impact production of the F-47 fighter jet, part of the Next Generation Air Dominance program designed to replace the F-22 Raptor. Boeing won this critical contract earlier this year, with the company expanding its St. Louis manufacturing facilities to accommodate the sixth-generation fighter program.What To Know
Members of the IAM District 837 voted down Boeing’s offer on Sunday, August 3, following the expiration of their current contract at 11:59 p.m. CT, according to a press release from the union. This latest vote follows members’ rejection of Boeing’s earlier proposal on Sunday, July 27.
