The St. Louis-area machinists union is scheduled to start contract negotiations with Boeing today.
Last fall, a seven-week strike in Washington state that shut down Boeing factories there was ended by an agreement that included a 38% general wage increase over four years. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 president told the St. Louis Business Journal that he is striving for a similar agreement.
The strike in Washington was closely followed by nearly 700 layoffs at Boeing locations in the St. Louis area and thousands nationwide. Of the St. Louis employees laid off, 111 were IAM members.
In March, the company was awarded a government contract to build the Air Force’s next-generation F-47 fighter jet at its defense branch in St. Louis.
On the union’s podcast “837PODFACTS,” the bargaining committee said a strike sanction vote is scheduled for June 29. The vote would allow the bargaining team the option to strike if necessary. Negotiations on noneconomic matters will come first, and bargaining on wage and benefits is scheduled to start July 8. A final contract vote is set for July 27, the day the current contract expires.
