Boeing Midwest Machinists End Three-Month Strike With New Five-Year Contract
ST. LOUIS – Several thousand Boeing machinists in the Midwest voted Thursday to approve a new labor agreement, ending a three-month strike that began Aug. 4. The five-year contract covers 3,200 workers who assemble military aircraft and weapons and includes a 24% wage increase over the life of the deal and a $6,000 signing bonus, according to the union.
Machinists Approve Five-Year Deal, Return to Work Sunday
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) said members will return to work Sunday at Boeing manufacturing plants in St. Louis and St. Charles, Missouri, and Mascoutah, Illinois. Workers at those facilities build fighter jets, weapons systems, and the U.S. Navy’s first carrier-based unmanned aircraft.
- Term: Five years
- Wage increases: 24% across the life of the contract
- Signing bonus: $6,000
Union and Company Statements
IAMAW said in a statement: “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,” the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said in a statement.
Boeing said Wednesday that it looks forward to “bringing our full team back together.”
How the Contract Came Together
The vote ends a prolonged standoff that saw machinists in the Midwest reject four earlier offers from Boeing. Union leaders said talks stalled over pay and retirement benefits, while Boeing argued workers’ demands exceeded the Midwest’s cost of living.
Tensions rose ahead of the walkout when workers rejected a proposed 20% raise over the contract’s term and $5,000 ratification bonuses. Boeing later returned with an offer that kept the same pay increases but dropped a scheduling rule limiting overtime opportunities. Workers turned that down, went on strike the next morning, and subsequently rejected two more company proposals before approving the new agreement.
Context: Boeing Labor Strains and Operational Pressures
While smaller than last year’s walkout by 33,000 Boeing workers who build commercial jetliners, the Midwest strike threatened to slow efforts by the aerospace company to regain its financial footing. Boeing’s Defense, Space & Security division accounts for more than a third of the company’s revenue.
The broader labor backdrop includes the 2024 strike that shut down Boeing’s factories in Washington state for more than seven weeks, during a difficult period for the company. Boeing also faced multiple federal investigations after a door plug blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight, renewing safety scrutiny of the model. Two 737 Max aircraft crashed in 2018 and 2019 in Indonesia and Ethiopia, respectively, killing 346 people.
What’s Next
- Machinists are scheduled to resume production on Sunday across Boeing’s defense manufacturing sites in Missouri and Illinois.
- The ratified contract is expected to stabilize staffing and output for key programs, including fighter jets, weapons systems, and unmanned aircraft.
Conclusion
The new IAMAW contract ends a consequential labor dispute for Boeing’s defense operations, delivering higher pay and bonuses for thousands of machinists while enabling the company to restart critical military manufacturing lines in the Midwest. With workers returning to the job Sunday, the focus shifts to maintaining production momentum as Boeing navigates ongoing operational and regulatory challenges.
