Boeing spent the last days of 2024 making peace with its striking workers, but new reports suggest the company’s worker woes are not done. A Boeing workers’ strike has been announced, with about 3,000 unionized employees protesting against the company in Missouri and Illinois. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837 (IAM) members rejected a contract offer from Boeing, unsatisfied with the terms of the offer and the company’s unwillingness to do more for the workers who “build the aircraft and defense systems that keep our country safe.”
Boeing is familiar with the extreme consequences of labor unrest and the lasting repercussions it can have on a business, which makes it all the more likely that the organization will be willing to end the strike quickly. For now, Boeing appears confident that it will be able to handle the fallout from the strike and ensure their “non-striking workforce can continue supporting [its] customers.”
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The Boeing Workers Strike in August 2025 Brings a Reminder of the Unrest Last Year
Over 3,200 Boeing workers began their strike against the company on Monday. This primarily included workers tasked with building the fighter jets in the St. Louis and St. Charles areas in Missouri and Illinois. The fighter jet workers unsatisfied with the Boeing contract reportedly work on the company’s F-15 and F/A-18 fighters, the T-7 trainer, and the MQ-25. These jets are integral to the operations of the US military, but it is unclear if their supply will be affected by the strike.
The defense workers’ contract was rejected by union members for a second time, as workers were unsatisfied with the terms of the four-year deal. The contract proposed to raise the average wage by around 40% over the course of the contract. It featured a 20% general wage increase and a $5,000 ratification bonus, along with periodic raises as well as more days for vacation and sick leave, according to Reuters.
Dan Gillian, who is Boeing’s vice president and general manager of the St. Louis facilities, expressed his disappointment at the Boeing employees’ decision to reject the offer, however, he stated that they had a contingency plan in place to keep the work going by relying on non-striking workers.
Boeing Employees Reject Offer Stating They Deserve Better
While the contract offered by Boeing appears to be generous to many, the two versions of the contract were not found to be satisfactory by the workers who “overwhelmingly rejected” the deals placed in front of them, both of which were largely similar. The union explained that it stood by the workers’ rights to choose their own terms of operations and would join them on the picket lines until they were offered a deal that met their demands. It is currently unclear which of the contract terms are being rejected by the union workers.
“IAM District 837 members build the aircraft and defense systems that keep our country safe,” said IAM Midwest Territory General Vice President Sam Cicinelli in a statement on Sunday. “They deserve nothing less than a contract that keeps their families secure and recognizes their unmatched expertise.”
“Our union is built on democracy, and our members have every right to demand a contract worthy of their contributions,” IAM International President Brian Bryant added to the statement. “We will be there on the picket lines, ensuring Boeing hears the collective power of working people.”
What’s Next for Boeing?
Boeing infamously handled a seven-week strike last year, when commercial jet workers who were part of the District 751 section of the union went on strike. While Boeing was eventually able to lay off workers and end the 30,000-strong worker strike last year, it appears it has another battle on its hands. The fighter jet workers negotiating the Boeing contract have not indicated just how long they intend to strike this time, but given the union’s commitment to negotiating better contracts for workers, Boeing could be facing an extended walkout.
The scale of Boeing’s labor unrest this time doesn’t look to be as massive, and the company states it is prepared to handle the strain this will put on production, but an extended fight with workers is not in the company’s best interest. Boeing hasn’t indicated if it will come back with another offer in the coming days, however, we’ll keep our eyes out for updates on the defense workers’ contract.
Largely, 2024 was a significant year for union battles, and while there have been notable wins and heavy losses on both sides of the aisle, it is in an organization’s best interest to find common ground with unionized workers and work in harmony with them. Unsatisfied workers are unproductive workers, and unionized or not, failing to meet their needs and interests can be fatal to an organization over time.
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The union said Boeing refused to engage substantively on core demands and no further negotiation meetings were set after talks ended without progress