Roughly 3,200 machinists at Boeing’s defense hub in the St. Louis area went on strike Monday, the first time the union has done so in nearly three decades, after it rejected the latest contract offer from the aerospace giant.
The machinists, who work in Missouri and Illinois building and maintaining F-15 and F/A-18 fighter jets and munitions, voted Sunday to reject Boeing’s offer of a four-year contract that included a 20 percent wage increase, $5,000 ratification bonus and other improvements such as better retirement benefits.
The group went on strike at midnight Monday.
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837, which represents the employees, said any contract should reflect the workers’ skill and the critical role they play in U.S. national defense.
“Our union is built on democracy, and our members have every right to demand a contract worthy of their contributions,” IAM International President Brian Bryant said in a statement. “We will be there on the picket lines, ensuring Boeing hears the collective power of working people.”
Dan Gillian, a vice president at Boeing and senior St. Louis site executive, said the company is disappointed the offer was rejected but is prepared for the strike.
“We are prepared for a strike and have fully implemented our contingency plan to ensure our non-striking workforce can continue supporting our customers,” he said in a statement.
IAM last went on strike in 1996.
The strike presents another headache for Boeing, which is struggling to rebound from a spate of safety issues, major financial losses and production delays.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration placed restrictions on the number of 737 Max jets Boeing could build after a door panel blew out of a 737 Max midair. An ensuing investigation revealed safety oversight shortcomings at the company.
The latest strike also follows one that started last September, when a Seattle-based union that represents more that 33,000 Boeing workers essentially halted production of some of the company’s best-selling commercial aircraft for nearly two months.