The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) has filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board against Boeing. The union alleges that Boeing has refused to bargain in good faith with more than 3,200 IAM District 837 members who have been on strike since August 4 at Boeing facilities in the St. Louis area.
According to the IAM, since mid-September, Boeing has rejected multiple union proposals without making any counter offers. The union says this is a violation of Boeing’s legal duty to negotiate in good faith under the National Labor Relations Act. IAM members passed a pre-ratified offer on September 19 intended to end the strike and return workers to their jobs, but Boeing did not respond with any new proposals.
Boeing has reportedly told the union that “there is no more coming” and that “no matter how long the strike lasts, the economics won’t change.” The IAM says these statements demonstrate Boeing’s refusal to negotiate. The ongoing strike is delaying deliveries of aircraft to the U.S. Air Force and, according to the union, Boeing’s efforts to hire replacement workers have not succeeded because they lack the necessary qualifications.
The strike follows Boeing’s recent award of the F-47 contract, a major defense program. The union argues that despite this contract and other taxpayer-funded projects, Boeing has not invested enough in its workforce.
IAM points out that one F-15 fighter jet costs about $100 million and estimates that accepting the union’s offer would cost Boeing $50 million over four years.
“These men and women have decades of skill, experience, and dedication,” said IAM Union Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli. “Boeing’s CEO is paid tens of millions of dollars, while the workers who build our military jets are being told to settle for less than they deserve. That’s unacceptable — and people on both sides of the aisle in Congress are taking notice. Lawmakers from both parties have called on Boeing to negotiate in good faith, because this strike and the company’s refusal to bargain are hurting our national defense.”
“IAM Union members put forward a fair, responsible proposal that would have ended this strike,” said IAM Union Resident General Vice President Jody Bennett. “Boeing’s refusal to even respond with an improved offer is an insult to every worker who builds this nation’s defense aircraft — and to the taxpayers footing the bill for the company’s delays. And let’s be clear: it’s our IAM Union members, not corporate executives or union officials, who will ultimately decide their future. That’s what democracy in our union looks like.”
“This strike is about respect and fairness,” said IAM District 837 Directing Business Representative Tom Boelling. “Our members are standing up for their families, their future, and for fair treatment at the bargaining table. Boeing’s delays are hurting its own production, putting critical defense contracts at risk, and showing that you can’t replace skilled union labor with untrained temps. The company needs to come back to the table now.”
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers represents about 600,000 active and retired members in industries such as aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and others across the United States and Canada.
