Boeing Union Workers Approve New Contract, Ending 3-Month Strike

Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times,

Thousands of Midwestern machinists who assemble military aircraft voted on Nov. 13 to accept a new contract with Boeing, bringing to an end three months of industrial action.

The workforce had been on strike since Aug. 4 over demands for better wages and work schedules.

District 837 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) represents 3,200 machinists at facilities in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri, and Mascoutah, Illinois. Its members build and maintain the F-15, F/A-18, and advanced missile and defense systems for the U.S. military, according to the union.

In a statement, IAM District 837 thanked its bargaining committee for its efforts to negotiate a deal acceptable to members.

“We appreciate the unwavering support of our members, their families, the St. Louis community, our labor allies, and elected officials throughout this fight,” IAM District 837 said. “We’re proud of what our members have fought for together and are ready to get back to building the world’s most advanced military aircraft.”

Boeing confirmed in a statement that IAM 837 had ratified the new contract.

“We look forward to having our full team back at work,” Boeing said. “IAM 837-represented employees at all St. Louis-region sites are to report to work beginning with third shift on Nov. 16 at 11 p.m.”

Throughout negotiations, IAM District 837 had been calling for Boeing to agree to higher retirement plan contributions, stronger wage increases to keep up with inflation, and a larger ratification bonus, a one-time payment offered to union members after they vote to approve a new contract.

On Nov. 10, Boeing revised the proposed ratification bonus, increasing it from $3,000 to $6,000, but dropped the $1,000 annual retention bonus, which would have been paid yearly for four years. The rest of the offer was largely unchanged from earlier versions, which had been rejected by the union.

On Nov. 4, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) wrote to Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, urging the company to “negotiate in good faith” and “quickly reach an agreement that the IAM 837 machinists can afford to accept.”

Hawley congratulated the workers in a Nov. 13 post on X.

“Congratulations to the 3000+ Missouri workers who today secured a new and better contract with Boeing,” Hawley said. “For months they have stood strong, and today they’re getting the raise they and their families deserve.”

Christy Williams greets people at the voting check-in table, where International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union members picked up their ballot to vote on a negotiated tentative labor agreement that would end their strike against Boeing Defense St. Louis regional operations. in Maryland Heights, Mo., on Sept. 12, 2025. David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP

Rep. Wesley Bell (D-Mo.) said in a statement that he was “glad to see IAM District 837 and Boeing reach a fair agreement that gets our highly skilled workers back on the job.”

“These workers deserve wages and benefits that reflect the true value of their work, and this agreement is a major victory for them, their families, and the entire St. Louis region,” Bell said. “Boeing has long been a cornerstone of our region’s economic success, and that success has always depended on the talent and dedication of its workforce.”

F-15EX Delivery Delays

The strike by about 3,200 machinists at facilities in the Greater St. Louis area was smaller in scale than last year’s action by workers at Boeing’s commercial airplane division in Washington and Oregon, which saw 33,000 machinists walk out.

While smaller in scale, the action had an impact on the deliveries of F-15EX fighters to the U.S. Air Force.

Ahead of an Oct. 9 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing for the nomination of Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach as the Air Force’s chief of staff, the four-star general said in submitted comments that delivery of the second lot of aircraft for the F-15EX program is “delayed due to the ongoing Boeing strikes with six of 12 F-15EX delivered to date.”

“These delays will impact F-15EX operations at Portland [Air National Guard Base],” as well as initial delays to deliveries of the third lot of aircraft overseas in 2026, said Wilsbach, who has since been confirmed and sworn in as 24th Air Force chief of staff. “While later than initially planned, aircraft deliveries and program milestone dates remain within the program’s acquisition baseline.”

Next-Generation Fighter Craft

On March 21, President Donald Trump announced that Boeing had been awarded the $20 billion contract to build the U.S. Air Force’s next-generation stealth fighter jet, designated the F-47.

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said on Sept. 22 that the first of the craft should be ready to fly by 2028.

An artist rendering of the Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter, the F-47. Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force

The F-47—previously known as the Next-Generation Air Dominance platform—is envisioned to replace the F-22 Raptor as the centerpiece of the United States’ future air superiority fleet.

The program was briefly paused under the Biden administration but was revived under Trump.