Thousands of Boeing union workers at three plants near St. Louis who build fighter jets are preparing to strike after rejecting a proposed contract Sunday that offered an average annual salary exceeding $100,000. Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) at Boeing facilities in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri, and Mascoutah, Illinois, voted down the contract, which included a 20% wage increase over four years.
The current contract for District 837 members will expire at 11:59 p.m. CDT, triggering a seven-day cooling-off period before a strike could begin. The three plants employ a combined 16,000 workers. The IAM union criticized Boeing’s offer, saying it fell short of recognizing the priorities and sacrifices of its skilled workforce. Boeing had proposed a four-year contract with an 8% raise in the first year and 4% annually after, raising average pay to $102,600, plus a $5,000 signing bonus and a total compensation increase of 40% including benefits. Boeing expressed disappointment over the vote and said it has activated contingency plans while no further talks are currently scheduled. Last year, a similar Boeing machinists’ strike in the Pacific Northwest lasted 54 days and ended with a 44% pay increase over four years. Boeing employs over 170,000 workers worldwide and is set to announce second-quarter earnings shortly.