ST. LOUIS – Boeing has been hit with another challenge as more than 3,000 defence workers went on strike on Monday, marking the first walkout at the company’s defence division since 1996. The striking members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) are based at Boeing’s defence hubs in Missouri and Illinois, where they assemble F-15 fighter jets and other military aircraft.
Union members rejected Boeing’s latest contract offer, citing disputes over pay, work schedules, and pensions. “3,200 highly-skilled IAM Union members at Boeing went on strike at midnight because enough is enough. This is about respect and dignity, not empty promises,” the union stated on X.
Boeing’s Air Dominance vice president, Dan Gillian, expressed disappointment, noting the rejected deal included an average wage growth of 40%.
The strike is the latest hurdle for the embattled manufacturer, which continues to recover from safety crises and production challenges. Boeing has faced a series of setbacks in recent years, including fatal 737 MAX crashes, a mid-air panel blowout in 2024, and an almost eight-week strike by passenger aircraft workers last year that cost the company billions.
Boeing chief executive Kelly Ortberg played down the potential impact of the walkout, saying it would be smaller than last year’s 30,000-worker strike in commercial operations.
IMAGE: Boeing factory workers gather on a picket line © Matt Mills McKnight via Reuters
