More than 3,200 union workers at Boeing plants in St. Louis, St. Charles, and Mascoutah have moved one step closer to a strike after rejecting the company’s latest contract proposal late Sunday—just hours before their current agreement expired.
Represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 837, the workers voted “overwhelmingly” to turn down the offer. The union said it would observe a seven-day cooling-off period before potentially calling a strike.
Boeing responded by saying no additional talks are scheduled and it has begun preparations for a possible work stoppage. In a statement, Dan Gillian, Boeing’s general manager and senior St. Louis site executive, expressed disappointment:
“We’re disappointed our employees voted down the richest contract offer we’ve ever presented to IAM 837, which addressed all their stated priorities.”
A Boeing representative declined to comment further on Monday.
What’s in the Offer?
According to a Reuters report, the rejected deal included:
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A 20% wage increase over four years
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Additional vacation and sick leave
Contract negotiations began in June. Workers had already voted to authorize a strike last month if talks broke down.
High Stakes Amid $20 Billion Defense Deal
In March, Boeing secured a massive $20 billion defense contract to build the next-gen F-47 fighter jets. These jets will be produced at the company’s St. Louis defense hub, which recently underwent a $1.8 billion expansion near Lambert International Airport.
The scale of that contract puts pressure on Boeing to resolve labor tensions swiftly, according to Michael Duff, co-director of the Wefel Center for Employment Law at St. Louis University.
Duff also pointed to potential political involvement in the standoff:
“It seems unlikely to me that the president would simply be quiet in the face of a labor dispute like this… Union leaders may be thinking, ‘We don’t really want to poke this bear.’”
Boeing’s Local Footprint
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Employs over 16,000 workers across St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and St. Clair County.
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Recently received $155 million in tax incentives from St. Louis County to create 500 high-paying jobs.
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In October, Boeing announced 692 job cuts affecting plants in St. Louis, Hazelwood, and St. Charles, which were set to take effect in January.
Duff noted that companies investing heavily in a specific site are less likely to relocate production during a strike, increasing the union’s leverage.
The next few days will determine whether negotiations resume—or the union walks off the job.
Katie is a senior who has been on staff for three years. Her favorite type of stories to write is reviews and features. Katie’s favorite ice cream flavor is strawberry.
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