Union members representing workers at two Boeing factories, where fighter jets are assembled, rejected the company’s proposed new contract on Sunday, increasing the likelihood of potential strikes.
“IAM Union members delivered a clear message: the proposal from Boeing Defense fell short of addressing the priorities and sacrifices of the skilled… workforce,” the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a statement.
More than 3,200 members of the union employed at Boeing facilities in the midwestern states of Missouri and Illinois rejected the company’s contract offer.
According to the union, their contract expires at the end of the day on Sunday. The workers part of IAM branch 837 will go on strike if no deal is reached with the aerospace giant in the next seven days.
The move could deal a serious blow to the company, after a seven-week-long walkout by Seattle-based workers last year crippled two of Boeing’s major assembly plants.
“We’re disappointed our employees voted down the richest contract offer we’ve ever presented to IAM 837, which addressed all their stated priorities,” said Dan Gillian, vice-president of Boeing Air Dominance and general manager of the site in St. Louis, Missouri.
In a statement sent to AFP, Gillian said no talks were scheduled with the union and the company was “preparing for a strike.”
Boeing’s proposal included a 20 percent pay increase over four years, as well as additional vacation days. But members working at sites in St. Louis and Mascoutah, Illinois, felt it did not meet their needs and did not guarantee a “secure future,” according to the union.
IAM is one of North America’s largest unions, representing members in aerospace, defense, transport, manufacturing, and other industries.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced that Boeing won the contract to develop the Air Force’s next-generation stealth fighter, which the 47th U.S. president named the F-47.
Speaking at the White House, Trump described the aircraft as unparalleled, stating, “No other plane in the world comes close. The generals chose the name F-47, a beautiful number.”
The contract was a significant win for Boeing, which faced challenges last year with a prolonged labor strike and safety issues in its commercial airliner division. The new aircraft will replace the F-22 jet, which has been operational for about 20 years, with a more advanced model designed to operate alongside uncrewed drones.
“Following an intense competition among America’s leading aerospace firms, the Air Force has selected Boeing for the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform,” Trump announced in a televised Oval Office address.
He noted that the contract’s cost is classified for security reasons. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, appearing with Trump, emphasized the aircraft’s strategic importance, saying it signals to allies that the U.S. remains a steadfast global power and to adversaries that “we will project power worldwide without hindrance for generations.
”Boeing issued a statement highlighting the NGAD selection as a continuation of its fighter jet legacy, setting “a new global standard for 6th generation capability.” The company is also vying against Northrop Grumman for a U.S. Navy next-generation aircraft contract.
Lockheed Martin, another contender for the Air Force contract, expressed disappointment but maintained confidence in its proposed solution. The NGAD program faced a pause in 2024 due to cost concerns, a priority for the Trump administration, which had enlisted Elon Musk to cut government spending through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
A 2018 Congressional Budget Office estimate pegged the NGAD airframe cost at up to $300 million per unit, higher than that of other U.S. aircraft. In 2024, the Congressional Research Service raised doubts about funding NGAD alongside other programs, such as the B-21 Raider bomber and the Minuteman III ICBM replacement.
A senior Air Force officer, Major General Joseph Kunkel, recently underscored the necessity of NGAD, stating at the AFA Warfare Symposium in Colorado that a study confirmed NGAD as the only viable option for maintaining air superiority in contested environments.
The F-47, set to succeed the stealthy, highly maneuverable F-22 Raptor capable of supercruising, remains shrouded in secrecy. Trump described it as “virtually unseeable,” with unmatched maneuverability, power, and the unique ability to operate with multiple drones, a capability he claimed no other aircraft possesses.
Via: AFP
