Topline
Employees at Boeing’s St. Louis defense factories rejected a contract offered by the aerospace giant Sunday afternoon, setting the stage for about 3,200 workers to walk off the job starting at midnight—the first strike the company has faced at its St. Louis defense hub since 1996.
About 3,200 workers in Missouri and Illinois rejected an offer on Sunday.
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Key Facts
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the union representing about 3,200 workers in St. Louis, St. Charles, Missouri, and Mascoutah, Illinois, voted against an offer from Boeing, which would have raised wages by 20%.
Workers are set to walk off the job at Boeing’s defense factories at midnight, seven days after their previous contract expired.
Union members previously “overwhelmingly” rejected a contract offer on July 27, the IAM said, noting “the proposal from Boeing Defense fell short of addressing the priorities and sacrifices of the skilled IAM Union workforce.”
The workers in the three impacted factories assemble crucial missile systems and aircraft, including the F-15 and the F/A-18, according to their union.
Boeing and IAM did not immediately return requests for comment from Forbes.