Workers at Boeing’s hub for defence production have rejected a proposal from the manufacturer, setting up a potential strike at key aircraft assembly sites.
More than 3,000 unionised employees at Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) sites near St Louis, Missouri voted to reject the offer on 27 July, according to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).
A strike can begin on 4 August after a seven-day cooling-off period, the IAM says.
St Louis is home to BDS headquarters and Boeing’s fighter aircraft manufacturing centre.
IAM members at sites in St Louis and St Charles, Missouri complete work on all of Boeing’s fixed-wing tactical aircraft, including the F-15EX and F/A-18E/F fighters and the T-7A trainer.
A newly opened assembly line in nearby Mascoutah, Illinois, which handles production of the nascent MQ-25 uncrewed refueller, is also covered by the IAM vote.
Several munitions production lines and Boeing’s Phantom Works advanced projects unit are also in St Louis, and some workers there support production of its 777X airliner.
Boeing tells FlightGlobal that 3,100 employees across those product lines are covered by the bargaining unit now moving toward a shutdown.
The IAM describes the result of the 27 July vote as “overwhelming”, without offering a tally.
“The proposal from Boeing Defense fell short of addressing the priorities and sacrifices of the skilled IAM Union workforce,” the labour group says. “Our members are standing together to demand a contract that respects their work and ensures a secure future.”
Notably, union leaders had recommended that members approve the offer from Boeing, describing it as a “landmark” agreement on 24 July.
The IAM has not revealed what issues drove members to reject the proposal, saying only that negotiators plan to return to the table with Boeing to deliver “meaningful improvements that support the well-being and livelihoods of IAM members”.
Boeing’s senior site executive in St Louis said on 28 July that the company has no specific plan to sit down again with union leaders.
“We’re disappointed our employees voted down the richest contract offer we’ve ever presented to IAM 837, which addressed all their stated priorities,” says Dan Gillian, general manager of the BDS air dominance unit and top Boeing executive in St Louis.
“We’ve activated our contingency plan and are focused on preparing for a strike,” Gillian adds. “No talks are scheduled with the union.”
The looming strike comes several months after Boeing secured a massive contract with the US Air Force to develop the F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance fighter, a deal worth billions of dollars over decades.
Ahead of that win, Boeing invested nearly $2 billion in construction of a classified fighter production factory at its St Louis campus. The company had been seeking to woo the Pentagon in favour of its F-47 proposal over that of rival Lockheed Martin’s.
Boeing’s commercial aircraft manufacturing operation endured a 53-day work stoppage in 2024 after workers represented by IAM units in the Pacific Northwest rejected several contract offers – including one that had been approved by union leaders.
That disruption cost the airframer some $5.5 billion, forcing it to shutter its 767 and 777 production site in Everett and its 737 assembly facility in Renton.
Aerospace industry suppliers that provide components to Boeing suffered $2.3 billion in losses from the six-week strike, according to analysis from the Anderson Economic Group.
