Workers at Boeing Plants Reject Labor Agreement
NEW YORK – A significant number of workers from three Boeing manufacturing plants are expressing frustration. They feel the current situation is untenable, just months after the company raised wages to resolve a lengthy strike that involved 33,000 aircraft workers.
Approximately 3,200 workers at Boeing’s facility in St. Louis, as well as those in St. Charles, Missouri, and Mascoutah, Illinois, voted against a new four-year labor agreement proposed by Boeing, according to the International Association of Aerospace Workers.
The union recently shared a message on social media, indicating that the vote followed a prior rejection of an earlier proposal from the aerospace giant.
Sam Sisinelli, the Midwest Territories vice president of the union, stated that “the 837 members of the IAM district will build aircraft and defense systems that will keep our country safe.” He emphasized that these workers deserve a contract that ensures the safety of their families and acknowledges their unique skills.
Members declined the latest proposal after a week-long cooling-off period.
Boeing issued a warning over the weekend, suggesting a strike might be imminent following the rejection of their most recent offer, which included a 20% salary increase over four years.
Dan Gillian, Vice President and General Manager of Boeing Airlines, mentioned that they are committed to collaborating with those seeking solutions. He also noted that Boeing is prepared for potential strikes, having activated their contingency plan to maintain support for customers through non-striking employees.
Recently, Boeing has faced setbacks, particularly after two tragic crashes involving the Boeing 737 Max—one in Indonesia in 2018 and another in Ethiopia in 2019, which together resulted in 346 fatalities. Additionally, a Boeing Dreamliner operated by Air India crashed in June, leading to at least 260 deaths.
Last week, Boeing reported an improvement in second-quarter revenue, though it still incurred a loss of $611 million, an improvement compared to a $1.44 billion loss during the same period the previous year.
As for Boeing’s shares, they were down less than 1% just before the market opened on Monday.
