Over 3,000 Boeing workers will begin striking Monday in Missouri and Illinois, after members rejected a four-year labor agreement with the aviation company.
The strike follows a landslide vote against a revised job contract on July 27, where 3,200 workers who build fighter jets declined the deal.
Workers assemble and maintain advanced aircraft and weapons systems, including the F-15, F/A-18 jets, along with a range of missile and defense technologies.
The strike is the latest blow for the aviation giant, which has faced a string of issues including fatal air disasters, machinery malfunctions, and an almost two-month walkout by almost 30,000 workers in 2024.
“IAM District 837 members build the aircraft and defense systems that keep our country safe,” said IAM Midwest Territory General vice president Sam Cicinelli on Sunday.
“They deserve nothing less than a contract that keeps their families secure and recognizes their unmatched expertise,” he added.
The IAM Union is one of the largest trade unions in the U.S., representing nearly 600,000 active and retired members from Lockheed Martin to United Airlines and an array of employees at numerous railroad, transit, healthcare, and automotive companies.
Workers at Boeing defence hubs in St. Louis, St. Charles, Mo., and Mascoutah, Ill., said the proposal “fell short of addressing the priorities and sacrifices of the skilled IAM Union workforce.”
“Our members are standing together to demand a contract that respects their work and ensures a secure future,” an IAM statement read on July 27.
Boeing said they were “disappointed” by their employees' decision in a statement.
They said the deal was an offer “that featured 40 percent average wage growth and resolved their primary issue on alternative work schedules.”
“We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers,” they added.
In June, 260 people died after a London-bound Air India 787 Boeing Dreamliner crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport in India's western state of Gujarat.
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