Five members of the Senate Armed Services Committee have called on Boeing President and CEO Kelly Ortberg to engage in good faith negotiations with more than 3,200 striking members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) District 837 in St. Louis. The strike has now entered its third month.
The letter, led by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and signed by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), and Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), urges Boeing to resolve the labor dispute promptly. According to the senators, “bring this strike to an end with an expedited resolution of the negotiation and the successful ratification of a proposal that pays IAM Union District 837 members what they are worth while ensuring that Boeing is able to fulfill its mission and ensure that the men and women of our military have what they need.”
The senators also expressed concern over Boeing’s decision to hire permanent replacements for striking workers, warning about potential impacts on product quality, safety, and national security. They wrote, “If you choose to proceed with replacement workers to complete these projects, you will be sacrificing the needs of the U.S. military in order to benefit the corporation’s bottom line. Rather than proceeding down this dangerous path, we urge you to rededicate yourself to meeting the needs of your current workers, who are a fount of experience, knowledge and professionalism. Now is the time to make a deal. Our military’s effectiveness and our country’s national security depends on it.”
This Senate letter follows a similar request from 17 bipartisan members of the House Armed Services Committee urging Boeing back to negotiations.
According to IAM Union estimates, their latest contract proposal would cost about $8 million more over four years compared with Boeing’s most recent five-year offer. Meanwhile, reports indicate that Boeing has provided $100 million in severance packages for former CEOs, reported $23 billion in revenue for the third quarter alone, and holds a defense backlog valued at $76 billion.
IAM District 837 workers are responsible for building key defense aircraft such as the F-15EX, F/A-18, T-7A trainer jet, MQ-25 drone tanker, and future F-47 fighter jet models.
Brian Bryant, International President of IAM Union said: “We are deeply grateful to the members of the Senate Armed Services Committee for standing up for our members in St. Louis and demanding accountability from Boeing. The Senators recognize that our members’ skill, dedication, and experience are vital to our national security. Their call for Boeing to negotiate in good faith sends a powerful message that protecting America’s military readiness begins with respecting the people who build it.”
Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) have also voiced support for IAM union members during recent hearings where union representatives testified regarding alleged bad-faith bargaining tactics by Boeing. Additionally, Representatives Wesley Bell (D-Mo.), Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), as well as members of the Congressional Labor Caucus have called on Boeing management to return to negotiations.
IAM Union representatives state they continue presenting reasonable contract offers intended both to end the strike and maintain a skilled workforce necessary for fulfilling military contracts.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers represents approximately 600,000 active or retired members across North America working in aerospace manufacturing as well as other industries including shipbuilding, railroads, transit systems, healthcare services and automotive production.
